EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN - MoEmoe.gov.gh/.../Education-Strategic-Plan-2018-2030.pdf · Education Strategic Plan 2018–2030 x SRIM Statistics, research, and information management

Ministry of Education

GHANA 2018EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2018 - 2030

Education Strategic Plan 2018–2030

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Foreword

Building on Ghana's achievements in expanding education, the Education Strategic Plan sets

out the vision and policies for realising the ambition of transforming Ghana into a ‘learning

nation'. It recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and prescribes

strategies to address the challenges in order to give every Ghanaian child the opportunity to

succeed and contribute to national development.

The Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030 puts Ghana on the road towards meeting the

Sustainable Development Goals and represents a deliberate reorientation towards this aim, as it

replaces the previous ESP 2010-2020. This plan not only sets the long term vision but also how

this will be operationalised in the medium term through the accompanying Education Sector

Medium Term Development Plan 2018-2021. These two documents have both been informed

by extensive analysis, which includes the Equity, System Capacity and Cost and Finance

Analysis commissioned specifically for the ESP, as well as a broad range of evidence and

research produced by partners and the Ministry. This comprehensive evidence base is brought

together in the Education Sector Analysis 2018 and summarises the challenges to which the

strategies in the ESP are designed to respond.

A lot of time and effort have brought us to this stage and the Ministry of Education is very

grateful to all those who have contributed to the process. This mission to develop an ESP

covering the SDGs timespan began in 2016. The process faced various set-backs and has

taken the hard work of many people to bring to successful completion. There has been wide

consultation and collaboration with partners, ensuring a participatory process that has spanned

the entire country. The end result is testament to the perseverance of everyone involved and the

Ministry of Education's determination to have a plan that will drive the agenda in education.

It is my expectation that the ESP will be a working document that is embedded in our planning

processes from the district to the national level and will shape the future of Ghanaian education

to achieve better learning outcomes for national development.

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (MP)

Hon. Minister of Education

The ESP 2018-2030 revolves around the ambition to improve the quality of education for all in

Ghana. Every sub-sector of the education system has a strategic goal and is based on three

policy objectives. these are i} improved equitable access to and participation in inclusive

education at all levels, ii} improved quality of teaching and learning and STEM at all levels iii}

sustainable and efficient management, financing and accountability of education service

delivery. With so many possibilities for how to achieve these objectives, some careful

prioritisation has been necessary. The lens used for this centred on the impact of a strategy or

activity on: learning outcomes, accountability for learning outcomes, and equity. These

underline Ghana's serious commitment to improving the quality of education and ensuring that

every child benefits from this.


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Acknowledgements

This Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030 was developed alongside the Education Sector

Analysis (ESA) 2018 and the Education Sector Medium-Term Development Plan (ESMTDP)

2018–2021. All three documents were developed under the leadership of the Ministry of

Education (MOE) and supported by the agencies of the MOE. The documents benefited from

the contributions of numerous individuals and teams who supported with analysis and drafting,

as well as providing oversight and strategic direction. Development partners and other

stakeholders also shared qualitative and quantitative data and literature to inform the process

and gave significant amounts of time to contribute to and guide the process. The MOE is

extremely grateful to all those who have supported the process.

In particular, special thanks and acknowledgement go to the Chief Director of the MOE, Enoch

Cobbinah, and to Ernest Wesley Otoo and Caitlin Williams at the Ministry, who led this process

on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Education.

In addition, the MOE would like to acknowledge the contributions to the development of the

ESP, along with the ESA and ESMTDP, that was provided by the drafting team (George Afeti,

Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Clifford Tagoe, Natasha Somji, Mark Todd, and Mike Kiernan); the

equity and system capacity analysis team (François Leclercq, Eric Ananga, Sue Kageler, and

Michael Danquah), and the cost and finance team (Philip Cole, John Grey, Abdul-Gafaru

Abdulai, and Helen Perry). The analysis provided by these teams underpins the ESA, ESP, and

ESMDTP, and as such underpins the future direction of the education sector in Ghana.

Oversight and strategic direction of the development of the ESP was provided by the MOE

Steering Committee, the ESP Technical Team, development partners, and the Education Sector

Working Group. Thanks also go to those who contributed to shaping this document during

consultations, including at the consultation meetings in Kumasi, Tamale, and Accra in

December 2017.

Special thanks go to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for supporting this process

through the provision of funding, to Josephine Lutta at the GPE for her guidance, and to Alberto

Begue who carried out the appraisal process and gave insightful and supportive feedback that

enabled the documents to be completed. The MOE would also like to thank the UK Department

for International Development (DFID) for acting as the grant agent for the GPE grant, and in

particular Janice Dolan, Bea Natzler, and Kate Jefferies, who worked alongside the MOE to

complete the process. Finally, thanks go to the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID), and James Dobson in particular, for acting as the coordinating agency

throughout the process.

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Table of contents

Foreword ii

Acknowledgements iii

List of acronyms vi

List of figures xi

List of tables xii

Executive summary xiii

Introduction 1

1 Key features of the ESA 2018 3

1.1 Context of Ghana 3

1.2 Education finance 4

1.3 Education management 4

1.4 Basic education 5

1.5 Secondary education 7

1.6 TVET 8

1.7 Inclusive and special education 8

1.8 NFE 9

1.9 Tertiary 10

1.10 Wider policy context 10

2 Policy framework of the ESP 13

2.1 ESP development process 13

2.2 Development of the ESP 13

2.3 Reform agenda and education sector priorities 19

2.4 Alignment of the ESP with national and international goals 20

3 Sub-sector policy objectives, key issues, and strategies 21

3.1 Basic education – Improved equitable access to and participation in quality basic education 21

3.2 Secondary education – Improved equitable access to and participation in quality SHS education 30

3.3 TVET – Strengthened competency-based skills development in TVET 37

3.4 NFE – Improved opportunities for non-literate youth and adults to have free access to meaningful quality education and training 43

3.5 Inclusive and special education – Improved access for PWD, the vulnerable, and the talented 47

3.6 Tertiary education – Improved access to world-class tertiary education 54

3.7 Education management – Improved planning and management efficiency in the delivery of education 61

4 ESP projected resources and costs 69

4.1 Education sector projected resources 2018–2021 69


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4.2 Cost projections 72

4.3 External support for the ESP 86

5 M&E framework 89

5.1 Basic education indicators 89

5.2 Secondary education indicators 93

5.3 TVET indicators 96

5.4 NFE indicators 97

5.5 Inclusive and special education indicators 99

5.6 Tertiary education indicators 101

5.7 Education management indicators 103

5.8 Accountability and reporting structures 105

5.9 Key tools for effective implementation and M&E 110

5.10 Risk factors and remediation 111

6 Communications strategy 113

References 115

Annex A Education Reform Delivery Framework in Ghana 116

A.1 Background 116

A.2 The Education Reform Delivery Framework 118

A.3 Structure and staffing of the Education Reform Delivery Framework 120

Annex B ESP development process 121

Annex C Mapping strategies in NMTDF 2018–2021 to sub-policy objectives of the ESP 123

Annex D Mapping SDG targets to sub-policy objectives of the ESP 131

Annex E Mapping African Union strategic objectives to sub-policy objectives of the ESP 136


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List of acronyms

ABFA Annual Budget Funding Amount

ADEOP Annual District Education Operational Plan

AU African Union

BECE Basic Education Certification Examination

BED Basic Education Division

CBE Complementary Basic Education

CBT Competency Based Training

CENDLOS Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling

COE College of Education

COLTEK College of Technology Education Kumasi

COTVET Council for TVET

CPD Continuous Professional Development

CSO Civil society organisation

CSSPS Computerised School Selection and Placement System

DA District Assembly

DACF District Assemblies Common Fund

DDE District Director of Education

DEO District Education Office

DEOC District Education Oversight Committee

DFID UK Department for International Development

DHS Demographic and Health Survey

EGMA Early Grade Reading Assessment

EGRA Early Grade Maths Assessment

EMIS Education Management Information System

ESMTDP Education Sector Medium-Term Development Plan


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ESP Education Strategic Plan

ESPR Education Sector Performance Report

FBO Faith Based Organisation

FCUBE Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education

FPMU Funds Procurement Management Unit

GAAS Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences

GBU Ghana Book Union

GER Gross enrolment rate

GES Ghana Education Service

GETFund Ghana Education Trust Fund

GHC Ghanaian cedi

GEU Girls Education Unit

GIL Ghana Institute of Languages

GILLBT Ghana Institute of Linguistics and Bible Translation

GLA Ghana Literacy Authority

GLSS Ghana Living Standard Survey

GNAPS Ghana National Association of Private Schools

GNAT Ghana National Association of Teachers

GNECC Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition

GoG Government of Ghana

GPE Global Partnership for Education

GPEG Ghana Partnership for Education Grant

GPI Gender Parity Index

GSS Ghana Statistical Service

ICT Information and communication technology

IE Inclusive Education


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IEC Inclusive Childhood Education

IEMT Inclusive Education Monitoring Tool

INSET In-service Training

IGF Internally generated funds

JHS Junior high school

KG Kindergarten

LEAP Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty

MMDA Metropolitan Municipal District Assembly

MMDCE Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executive

MOE Ministry of Education

MOFEP Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning

MoGCSP Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection

mSRC Mobile School Report Card

NAB National Accreditation Board

NaCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

NCTE National Council for Tertiary Education

NDPC National Development Planning Committee

NEAU National Education Assessment Unit

NER Net enrolment rate

NESAR National Education Sector Annual Review

NFED Non-Formal Education Division

NGO Non-governmental organisation

NIB National Inspectorate Board

NTC National Teaching Council

NTECF National Teacher Education Curriculum Framework

NTVETQF National TVET Qualification Framework


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OER Open Education Resources

OOSC Out-Of-School-Children

PBB Programme Based Budgeting

PBME Planning, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation

PHC Population and Housing Census

PPP Public-private partnership

PTA Parent–teacher association

PTPDM Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional Development and Management

PTR Pupil–teacher ratio

PWD Person with disability

RDE Regional Director of Education

REO Regional Education Office

SDG Sustainable Development Goal

SEIP Secondary Education Improvement Project

SEN Special educational needs

SHS Senior high school

SHTS Senior High Technical School

SIP Social Intervention Programme

SLTF Student Loan Trust Fund

SMC School Management Committee

SPAM School Performance Appraisal Meeting

SpED Special Education

SPIP School Performance Improvement Plan

SPP School Performance Partnership

SPPP School Performance Partnership Plan

SRC School Report Card


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SRIM Statistics, research, and information management

STEM Science, technology, engineering, maths

STR Student-Teacher Ratio

SWG Sector Working Group

TEI Tertiary education institution

TLM Teaching and learning material

TVI Technical and vocational institute

T-TEL Transforming Teacher Education and Learning

TVET Technical and vocational education and training

UIS UNESCO Institute of Statistics

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

USAID United States Agency for International Development

WAEC West African Examination Council

WASH Water, sanitation, and hygiene

WASSCE West African Senior Secondary Certification Examination


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List of figures

Figure 1: Policy framework for the ESP 2018–2030 ..........................................................17 Figure 2: Flow of international policies to national education sector policies ......................20 Figure 3: Cost of the status quo by sub-sector ..................................................................73 Figure 4: Revenue, cost, and funding gap of the status quo model ...................................74 Figure 5: Projected costs of education by sub-sector, including ESP policy costs, 2018–

2030 ...................................................................................................................83 Figure 6: Projected costs (including ESP policy costs) and resources (at 2% growth per

annum) 2018–2030 ............................................................................................84 Figure 7: Projected costs (including ESP policy costs) and resources (at 3% growth per

annum), 2018–2030 ...........................................................................................86 Figure 8: Organogram of the MOE as at 2018 ................................................................. 106 Figure 9: Organogram of the GES ................................................................................... 107 Figure 10: The components of the ESP development process .......................................... 121


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List of tables

Table 1: Education strategic goals and relevant sub-sector ..................................................15 Table 2: Education reform agenda priorities .........................................................................19 Table 3: Projected GDP, central government budget allocation, and education sector

projected budget 2018–2021 (Ghanaian cedi (GHC) billions) .................................70 Table 4: Education sector projected revenue 2018–2021 (GHC billions) ..............................71 Table 5: Policy costs for basic education ..............................................................................75 Table 6: Policy costs for secondary education ......................................................................76 Table 7: Policy costs for TVET ..............................................................................................77 Table 8: Policy costs for NFE ................................................................................................78 Table 9: Policy costs for inclusive and special education ......................................................79 Table 10: Policy costs for tertiary education............................................................................80 Table 11: Policy costs for education management ..................................................................81 Table 12: Projected costs of education by sub-sector, including ESP policy priorities, 2018–

2030 (costs in GHC millions) ...................................................................................84 Table 13: Projected costs and resources under 2% and 3% real-terms growth in education

resources ................................................................................................................87 Table 14: Summary of performance management tasks and responsibilities ........................ 109 Table 15: Risks identified for implementation of ESP 2018–2030 ......................................... 112


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Executive summary

The Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030 is the third in a series of strategic plans that

have been produced since 2000 (ESP 2003–15; ESP 2010–20; and now 2018–30) and follows

from the ESP 2010–2020. During the mid-term review of the previous plan, it was agreed that,

given changes at both the international level, with the agreement on the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs), and changes within the economic and political contexts in Ghana,

there was a need to develop a new plan that aligns with the timeframe for the SDGs.

The ESP 2018–2030 provides a 12-year roadmap for education in Ghana. Specific delivery

priorities and activities will be outlined in a series of four-year implementation plans which will be

aligned with the ESP. The ESP represents the consensus among internal and external

stakeholders regarding the need to raise learning outcomes and standards in all educational

institutions, and at all levels of education, and to ensure that no child is left out. The evidence

base of the ESP can be found in the Education Sector Analysis (ESA) 2018, which provides an

in-depth situational analysis of the education sector. The ESA 2018 includes demographic,

macroeconomic, and socio-political contextual information, as well as an in-depth assessment

of the various sub-sectors of education in Ghana.

The ESP 2018–2030 is divided into five chapters covering the following areas:

Chapter 1: Key features of the ESA 2018;

Chapter 2: the ESP framework and theory of change (ToC);

Chapter 3: priorities and strategies for each sub-sector, including key performance indicators

(KPIs);

Chapter 4: cost and finance, presenting the projected resource envelope for the education

sector, the learner population projection, and the financial framework for the plan; and

Chapter 5: a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework.

The annexes illustrate how the ESP is closely aligned to a) Ghana’s national development

strategy; b) the SDGs (especially SDG 4 – education); and c) the Africa Union education goals

and objectives. A further annex shows how the ESP preparation process followed the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)/International Institute for

Education Planning guidelines. The Implementation Plan for the first four years of the plan from

2018 to 2021 can be found in a separate document, the Education Sector Medium-Term

Development Plan (ESMTDP), which lays out in detail how each of the strategies of the ESP will

be implemented and how the targets will be achieved.

There are three defining themes running through this ESP. The first is the imperative to focus on

improved learning outcomes, which is underlined by the subtitle of this ESP, ‘Ghana: A Learning

Nation’. Unpacking an improvement in learning outcomes reveals a number of interwoven

reforms, strategies, and interventions which come together to create learning systems; from the

broad high-level reforms, such as the curriculum reviews (for schools and Colleges of Education

(COEs)) to the practical school-level interventions, such as reducing teacher absenteeism, and

ensuring more productive engagement with communities.


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The second defining theme of this ESP is the recognised need to prioritise policies and activities

in the sector, given the constraints of capacity and funding. To address this the MOE has

developed a “lens for prioritisation” through which all proposed policies and interventions must

be viewed to ensure they are working towards the agreed goals in the best manner possible.

The lens comprises three questions, which ask whether the proposal positively impacts a)

learning outcomes, b) accountability for learning outcomes, and c) equity.

The third theme of the ESP is the focus on the efficiency of the education system and a

willingness to introduce or reform policies to ensure high-quality results with the resources

available. With this is a renewed emphasis on the need for strong accountability mechanisms

and a sector-wide framework to hold actors to account appropriately. A number of the priorities

under the government’s reform agenda work towards greater effectiveness and efficiency of

delivery and this ESP provides the framework to link the various reform priority strands to

ensure they deliver maximum benefit to the children of Ghana.


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Introduction

The ESP 2018–2030 lays out Ghana’s vision and goals for the education sector up to 2030, as

well as detailed strategies for how these goals will be achieved. The document presents

evidence-based priorities and policies formulated after wide-ranging consultations, ensuring that

all education stakeholders in Ghana are in agreement on the need for the delivery of quality

education to the nation. The ESP provides a clear roadmap for delivery, in which all actors can

see where their responsibilities and contributions lie and what they will be held accountable for

in relation to the achievement of the vision.

This ESP is the central point of a trio of documents that work together. Alongside it, an ESA was

produced as part of the ESP finalisation process. The ESA provides a thorough assessment of

the situation of the Ghanaian education sector as at 2018. The ESA highlights the strengths and

weaknesses in the sector, including inequities in access, participation and learning outcomes,

as well as in the capacity of the system to address these. The analysis has further helped to

identify the policy responses to the challenges raised and presented in the ESP. Finally, the

ESMTDP 2018–2021 is a detailed operational plan for the first four years of the ESP, which is in

line with the National Medium-Term Development Framework. In the ESMTDP the costs of

implementing key strategies during the ESP period are considered, with more detail and

emphasis given to the first few years as there is greater certainty regarding the requirements

and potential resources for this period.

Ghana’s education system is organised into seven programme areas and the ESP reflects

these in its presentation of sub-sectors. Basic education, which comprises kindergarten (KG)

(two years), primary (six years), and junior high school (JHS) (three years), is free and

compulsory for all children in Ghana. At the senior secondary level, students choose to follow

the academic track of senior high school (SHS) or pursue more technical and vocational

courses at a technical institute or specialised courses at a senior high technical school. From

there, they progress to tertiary education in either academic or vocational tracks. The mandate

of inclusive and special education spans the entire breadth of the education system but the

majority of its work is currently focused at the basic level. Non-formal education (NFE) is

centred on improving literacy levels for adults and youth in both English and local languages, for

those who are not part of the formal education system. Finally, education management is a

cross-cutting area which includes both teacher management and the wider education system

management, including accountability and planning.

In Chapter 1 this ESP first presents the salient features of the ESA 2018 which have informed

strategies at every level of this plan, before explaining, in Chapter 2, the development of the

ESP and the lens used to prioritise the policies and strategies. Chapter 3 provides the detail for

each sub-sector, providing a narrative explanation, the ToC, and the policy framework. The

narrative summarises the challenges of the sub-sector and ongoing programmes that address

some of these challenges, before explaining the ToC for each sub-sector and articulating the

particular priorities within the policies presented in the framework, as well as the key

performance indicators (KPIs). The KPIs for each sub-sector will form the headline measures

that will be used to track progress in the education sector. The full list of indicators found in the

M&E section provide greater depth for each sub-sector. Chapter 4 presents the cost and finance

analysis and projections, including the projected resource envelope for the education sector, the


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learner projection, and the financial framework for the plan. Chapter 5 presents the M&E

framework, along with the full list of indicators, associated targets and reporting mechanisms to

monitor the progress of implementing the ESP, and, finally, the risks which may affect the

achievement of the targets, which are outlined along with remediation strategies.


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1 Key features of the ESA 2018

This chapter summarises the salient features of the ESA 2018, highlighting the challenges that

the ESP will address in order to deliver a quality education for all learners in Ghana. The

chapter does not specify policy interventions which are planned or ongoing that respond to

these challenges as these are detailed in the policy framework and relevant sub-sector narrative

and (in Chapters 2 and 3). The ESA gives an objective assessment of the state of education in

Ghana, including a detailed analysis of each sub-sector, as well as setting out the demographic,

macroeconomic, and political contexts of the education sector. The ESA provides the foundation

and evidence for the ESP 2018–2030, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the current

system. The ESA is therefore structured around the same seven programme areas as the ESP,

namely: basic education; secondary education; technical and vocational education and training

(TVET); NFE; inclusive and special education; tertiary education; and education management.

For further information on any aspect, the reader should refer to the complete ESA 2018,

available at www.moe.gov.gh.

1.1 Context of Ghana

A country of just under 30 million people, Ghana recently made the transition to lower middle-

income status and has achieved many of the same education successes as other countries in

this bracket, such as considerably expanding access to basic education. The country achieved

independence in 1957 and is now a multi-party democracy, with 10 administrative regions.

Between 2008 and 2012, Ghana was heralded as the pearl of West Africa in terms of economic

growth, averaging rates of 8.7%. Since then, the economy has slowed substantially, to an

estimated growth rate of 3.6% in 2017, due to a combination of various macroeconomic factors,

including commodity prices, inflation, energy rationing, and fiscal consolidation. Meanwhile,

expenditure has steadily increased, even while revenue has remained stagnant, thereby

increasing the fiscal deficit. Part of this increasing expenditure can be explained by an

increasing wage bill, which, in 2013, made up two-thirds of tax revenue. While total government

spending as a proportion of GDP peaked in 2014 at 34.3%, this has since been curbed and in

2016 declined to nearly 16%. In terms of inequality, the Gini coefficient has remained

unchanged between 2006 and 2010 at 0.41. The incidence of poverty is highest in the

northwest of Ghana and lowest in the southeast; these trends are strongly correlated with the

regional distribution of the proportion of the population living in urban areas and the proportion

of educationally deprived districts.

The Ghanaian population is made up of various ethnic groups, with the Akans constituting the

largest group (48%), followed by the Mole-Dagbani (17%), Ewe (14%), and others. The most

widely practised religion is Christianity, with Christians making up just over 70% of the

population, followed by Muslims, who make up 18%, followers of traditional religions at 5%, and

others. While English is the official language in Ghana, there are a number of other language

groups, with at least 69 individual languages. The Ashanti, Eastern, and Greater Accra regions

make up 50% of the population, while Upper East is the least populated region, with just 2% of

the total population. As at 2015, 40% of the population was under 14 years old, 55% were

between 15 and 64 years old, and just 1.9% were over 65 years. The number of school-age

http://www.moe.gov.gh/


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children 4–18-years-old are projected to grow at just over 2% per year for the next four years,

dropping to a 1.9% growth rate in 2025 and a 1.7% growth rate in 2030.

1.2 Education finance

Ghana has devoted substantial resources to the education sector in recent years and has

exceeded associated international benchmarks when including internally generated funds1,

outperforming all other west African countries. Education expenditure has been growing at a

faster rate, in both nominal and real terms, than the total government expenditure. The vast

majority of funding to the education sector comes from the government budget, with government

contributing 87% in 2012 and 78% in 2015. The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) (an

earmarked proportion of VAT) and Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) (an earmarked

proportion of oil revenue) have contributed increasing amounts to overall education expenditure

since 2012 – predominantly funding government expenditure on goods and services and capital.

The proportion of education spending from internally generated funds (IGF) has increased in

recent years, reaching 17% in 2015, but this is likely to decrease as free SHS is rolled out over

the next two years.

A large part of the discretionary Government of Ghana (GoG) budget (as opposed to statutory

funds) is spent on the wage bill, which accounted for nearly 100% of GoG expenditure in 2015.

It may appear therefore that little is left for goods and services and capital but as the GETFund

and ABFA have grown they have become the source of funding for goods and services and

capital. As they are earmarked for education and cannot be used for salaries, the division of

revenue is a purely pragmatic one.

Primary education consistently accounted for the largest share of education expenditures until

2015, when it was overtaken by JHS, SHS, and tertiary education. Growth in expenditure in the

JHS sector is primarily due to a rapid increase in the number of teachers employed in the

sector. This was before the introduction of the free SHS policy, the growth of which will also

affect the division of government spending between the sectors. Both NFE, special education,

and TVET have consistently attracted the least educational expenditure, often below 3% of the

total education budget. Per student spending at the school level varies significantly by region

and strongly correlates with regional distributions of poverty in Ghana. Efforts by the

government to bring about equity in education spending have met with some success but equity

and quality still remain priorities for government spending.

1.3 Education management

Management can be thought of as being divided into two broad categories, teacher

management and system management, although the two are clearly linked. In terms of teacher

management, absenteeism, attrition, and time-on-task have been widely recognised as a

problem, with overall teacher absenteeism as high as 14% in 2014/15 and varying considerably

by region. Furthermore, teacher attrition increased to 4% in 2016, from 2% in 2009. Deployment

1 IGF represent fees and other charges for delivery of services which were charged at SHS and tertiary levels of education. Since September 2017, when free SHS was introduced, the IGF from SHS are being phased out as government absorbs the SHS fees.


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of teachers is also a concern, with large regional disparities in pupil–teacher ratios and weak

correlation between the number of students and teachers within a district, especially within the

KG and SHS sub-sectors. There are various policy actions planned and ongoing in response to

these issues, including the Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional Development and Management

(PTPDM) policy, to ensure the proper licensing and registration of teachers.

Oversight of system accountability is the responsibility of three autonomous bodies: the National

Inspectorate Board (NIB), the National Teaching Council (NTC), and the National Council for

Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA). While the regulatory agencies are responsible for

designing and enforcing accountability structures, the implementation of these structures spans

the entire system. Within the Ghana Education Service (GES), for example, the network of

regional and district offices down to the school level must play their part in a fully functioning

and accountable system. However, the regulatory agencies have hitherto not performed

effectively due to inadequate funding, lack of staff, and lack of powers of enforcement, and the

education sector as a whole lacks a clear accountability framework. Work is ongoing to

strengthen accountability mechanisms, as well as data collection systems and research

capabilities at the basic, secondary, and tertiary levels. Initiatives to harmonise various data

collection systems are also in progress. In addition, while the private sector accounts for over

20% of enrolment at the basic level, over one-third of technical and vocational institutions, and

nearly half of all tertiary institutions, there is little monitoring, collaboration, or regulation across

the system. A significantly lower proportion of teachers in the private sector are trained

compared to the public sector, and little research has been done on learning outcomes for the

private sector.

The internal efficiency of the education system itself is a concern, illustrated in part by the large

numbers of over-age children in school. Considering progression from primary to SHS: for every

100 children who enter Primary 1, only 38 leave SHS. This is reflected in results from a cohort

simulation model, which show that the proportion of repeaters in each grade of the pre-tertiary

system is significantly higher than previously thought. In SHS, for example, the repetition rate is

above 12% in every grade.

1.4 Basic education

Generally speaking, indicators of access at the basic education level have improved

considerably, but there are still large inequities by income, region, location (rural–urban), and

gender. Gross enrolment rates (GERs) exceed 100% for KG and primary and are over 85% for

JHS. Net enrolment rates (NERs) are generally much lower, indicating that a large proportion of

children who are not of the appropriate age are attending school. One of the reasons for this is

late enrolment in KG or primary, but the more prevailing reason is the number of children

repeating. Repeater rates are estimated to be as high as 16% in some of the primary grades,

and 19% in the first grade of JHS, where it seems that under-prepared pupils are being held

back.

Gender parity at the national level has been achieved at all sub-levels of basic education.

However, gender disparities exist when this statistic is broken down by region, and, depending

on the region, this disparity can be to the detriment of either girls or boys.


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The majority of the growth in the number of schools from 2010/11 to 2016/17 has come from the

private sector, which operates about a third of the total basic schools in the country. While over

20% of basic school pupils are enrolled in private schools, they are unevenly distributed across

the country, accounting for over 60% of enrolment in KG in the Greater Accra region and less

than 10% in the Upper West region.

Over 450,000 children are out-of-school; they come mostly from the poorest households and

within the three northern regions. One of the factors that may be contributing to the number of

out of school children is the shortage of classrooms: national pupil–classroom ratios for public

basic schools are 55:1 for KG, 38:1 for primary, and 35:1 for JHS, but there are substantial

regional differences in the ratios. The classroom backlog2 is estimated to be 5,491 classrooms

for KG (24% of the existing classrooms), 4,236 classrooms for primary (5% of the existing

classrooms), and 1,247 classrooms for JHS (4% of the existing classrooms).

Completion rates vary substantially by income and region, with pupils from the lowest income

quintile being only 0.37 times as likely to complete JHS compared to those from the highest

quintile. The proportion of children with disabilities in basic education make up less than 0.5% of

enrolment, despite accounting for 1.6% of the total pre-tertiary aged population. While gender

may not be the main driver of inequality at the basic level, emerging evidence indicates that

adolescent girls’ exclusion is reinforced when different sources of inequality – poverty, gender,

geography – interact with one other. For example, the mean years of education for rural and

poorest girls between the ages of 20 and 24 is 4.4 years, compared to the 13 years for the

richest urban girls and 13.2 for the richest urban boys3 .

Regarding quality, although the proportion of trained teachers has increased over time, at the

KG level it reached just 65% in 2016/17. Learning outcomes have been an area of concern, with

wide variations in Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results across regions and

by gender: the three northern regions perform particularly poorly, and especially compared to

Greater Accra, and these effects are exacerbated when looking at gender disparities by region,

where results are skewed against girls in all four core subjects (English, mathematics, science

and social studies). While it is not possible to assess BECE results by wealth of the family, the

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) assessments in 2011 showed

significantly lower achievement for those in the 5th percentile compared to those in the 95th

percentile. Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) results show that in both 2013 and 2015,

only 2% of pupils in Primary 2 could read at grade level, with 50% unable to read a single word.

The 2015 Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) found that while 46–72% of pupils

scored correctly on procedural knowledge sub-tasks, conceptual knowledge sub-tasks were

much more challenging, with nearly 75% of pupils sometimes unable to answer a single

question correctly. These assessments also show that urban areas significantly outperform rural

areas.

Education management at the basic level points to weak accountability mechanisms at the

school, community, and district levels. School leadership and management, particularly in

2 Calculated from the backlog in those regions that are over the national average.

3 Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) et al., 2015


7

relation to the oversight and mentorship of teachers, ensuring time-on-task, and the

administration of the capitation grant, is also poor. There are a few initiatives in place to

strengthen data collection and research: the mobile School Report Card (SRC) system, which

collects real-time school-level data, has been piloted in 20 districts, the system-wide education

management information system (EMIS) is being strengthened, and a Basic Education

Research Group has been set up.

1.5 Secondary education

Access at the SHS level has made substantial progress, with GERs reaching 50% in 2016/17,

up from 37% in 2011/12, although enrolment rates vary substantially by region. However, given

the national placement system, these variations are indicative of where students are placed and

attend, and not necessarily of where they originate. The NER in 2016/17, at 26.5%, is much

lower than the GER, and the substantial difference is indicative of large numbers of students in

SHS who are not of the appropriate age. Over-age enrolment is primarily due to the relatively

high repeater rates throughout the school system, but the repeater rates in the latter two grades

of SHS are also high (up to 15%). Many of the students repeating years have not been able to

complete the year due to seasonal work, family responsibilities, or lack of fees (prior to the free

SHS programme). While they may not have completed the year and failed, technically they are

still counted as repeaters for resource purposes.

The transition rate between JHS and SHS reached 68% in 2016/17 and is expected to continue

to rise with the introduction of the free SHS policy. Within SHS, gender parity has nearly been

achieved, reaching 0.96 in 2016/17, but there are substantial inequities in access across wealth

quintiles: those coming from the poorest 20% of households, the most deprived districts, and/or

from rural areas are about five to six times less likely to access SHS. A contributing factor to the

challenges in accessing SHS is the shortage of schools and classrooms. In 2015/16 the national

pupil–classroom ratio for public SHS stood at 46:1, with substantial regional differences.

Northern and Upper East regions had pupil–classroom ratios of over 50:1 and in total the

shortfall in the number of classrooms in 2016 was 2,894, 16% of the total SHS classroom stock.

Learners with disabilities are also underrepresented in SHS: they make up only 0.2% of

enrolment in SHS, despite accounting for 1.7% of the senior secondary school-age population.

Textbook–student ratios have declined substantially since 2011/12, reaching 0.5 in 2016/17 for

maths, and textbooks production is often delayed. There is also a need for investment in

infrastructure to address increasing student to classroom ratios, which reached 48 in 2016/17,

despite the much lower student–teacher ratios of 21 in 2016/17. In terms of learning outcomes,

results from the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Exam (WASSCE) have been poor

for both core and elective science and mathematics subjects, particularly in 2015. These results

diverge substantially across regions, with the three northern regions performing most poorly.

Gender disparities in performance, to the detriment of girls, exist across all regions for maths,

science, and social studies, and, in the three northern regions, for English as well. At the school

level there are large disparities even within the same region: in some schools, nearly 100% of

students achieve grades of A1 to C6, and in others 0% do so.

School management and leadership is key, both for the roll-out of the free SHS policy and to

arrest the poor trend in examination results. A research agenda at the secondary level is in


8

place that will continue to produce pertinent research, especially on quality outcomes and

equity. Disbursements for the free SHS policy were rolled out in a timely fashion for the first

term of the 2017/18 academic year, which allowed for adequate planning and implementation.

1.6 TVET

Access to technical and vocational institutions has steadily increased, both in terms of Senior

High Technical Schools and technical and vocational institutions. However, efforts to improve

access within this sub-sector is constrained by low public perceptions: technical and vocational

education is usually thought of as an option for under-performing students and many who are

placed in these institutions often do not end up attending. Only 2.1% of students selected these

institutions through the placement system in 2013. This is further compounded by a low

absorption capacity of existing technical and vocational institutions, and the poor state of

training facilities and equipment. The participation of women and persons with disabilities

(PWD) in this sub-sector is particularly low, especially in traditionally male-dominated areas

such as engineering and construction: 26% female enrolment was registered for 2015/16 and in

Senior High Technical Schools this number was just 11% in 2016/17. Currently, technical and

vocational education is limited in scope and does not cover the diverse needs of learners or of

Ghana’s economy. The relevant institutions are also ill-equipped to provide an adequate

education and all of these factors contribute to the poor perception of TVET.

There is a mismatch between the skills supplied in TVET institutions and demand for skills in the

labour market, and there is also low industry investment and involvement in this sub-sector. In

addition, only 52% of technical and vocational institute teaching staff possess technical

qualifications, while staffing norms and standards vary substantially throughout the country.

Learning outcomes in this sub-sector are also poor, especially for students at the Technician

level, with only 30% of students on average passing the Technician I examinations.

Data collection mechanisms for the TVET sub-sector are inadequate, especially as this sub-

sector is administered across more than 15 ministries, with poor coordination, although this will

be addressed through the realignment of the TVET sub-sector. In addition, detailed data on

teacher training and facilities is lacking, leading to an ineffective diagnosis of the quality of

inputs of this sub-sector. The TVET sub-sector also suffers from a lack of harmonisation and

coherence, and its operations are hampered by its fragmented nature. The TVET sub-sector

also receives less than 3% of the overall education expenditure.

1.7 Inclusive and special education

According to the Population and Housing Census 2010, the overall prevalence of children with

disabilities aged between 4- and 17-years-old in Ghana is 1.6%, or 130,000 children, with wide

regional disparities. However, this may be underestimated due to low detection rates. According

to the EMIS, in 2016–2017, about 29,000 pupils with disabilities were registered at basic and

senior secondary (excluding TVET) levels. Among these pupils, 6,130 were enrolled in special

schools. However, enrolment of children with disabilities ranges from just 0.2% to 0.4% of total

enrolment in KG and SHS. Children with disabilities have lower attendance rates compared to

children without disabilities at all levels of pre-tertiary education, and the lowest attendance


9

rates are at the SHS and Technical and TVET levels. It is also clear that children with disabilities

are not progressing through the education system and a large proportion of those enrolled are

over-age. The lack of facilities in basic and secondary schools disproportionately affects

children with disabilities, with almost no regular basic schools having hand-rails, and only 8%

being equipped with ramps. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that there is stigma toward

children with disabilities.

The proportion of trained teachers in special schools is higher than that in regular schools and

PTRs are lower in special schools compared to regular schools, ranging from 7 to 11. Overall,

there are consistent gaps in learning outcomes in reading, writing, and maths between pupils

with and without disabilities; these differences are particularly stark for writing in Ghanaian

languages and mathematics, but exist across all other areas as well, according to the Ghana

Living Standard Survey 2013. Data collection for inclusive and special education is limited and

spread across different data collection instruments, with varying definitions, leading to a reliance

on national survey data which in turn leads to an inability to effectively diagnose this sub-sector.

This sub-sector is also severely underfunded: in 2015, only 0.6% of total recurrent education

expenditure was spent on inclusive and special education, which is concerning given the extra

needs of the learners concerned and the fact that the recurrent costs of inclusive education in

special schools are much higher than those in regular schools.

1.8 Non-Formal Education (NFE)

Of those who complete nine years of basic education, only 54% of males and 43% of females

acquire literacy skills that are likely to persist through adulthood. There is hence a strong need

for adult literacy programmes, even for those who have attended formal schooling. The main

intervention that the MOE employs to improve literacy rates for those working in the informal

economy is the National Functional Literacy Programme. The latest batch of the National

Functional Literacy Programme in local languages enrolled over 14,000 learners; however, this

falls severely short of addressing the needs of the more than 1.2 million illiterate adults in

Ghana, a large proportion of whom are concentrated in the three northern regions and within the

lowest income quintiles. While other initiatives have also been employed, such as delivering

literacy programmes on the radio, this is severely underfunded and progress has slowed

substantially. Attempts to develop a literacy phone application have also suffered from a lack of

funding. Funding gaps for this sub-sector affect quality measures in terms of training for

facilitators, teaching and learning materials, curriculum review, supervision, and even the

printing of materials.

NFE received the lowest amount of government education expenditures in 2015. Such

expenditures are almost entirely recurrent and demonstrate a low commitment to NFE

programmes. Efforts of the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) of the MOE to provide

literacy programmes are hamstrung by the division not having agency status, and thus not

benefitting from the associated clarification and ability to implement its mandate that such a

status would confer (as in the case of GES, the Ghana Library Authority etc). In addition, adult

literacy is a cross-cutting issue, which affects various ministries and sectors; however, at

present there is no national policy on NFE and adult learning, which hinders effective

implementation and oversight, and means that this sub-sector remains fragmented.


10

1.9 Tertiary

Both the number of, and enrolment in, tertiary institutions have increased over time, as the GER

has improved but remained low, at 14.2% in 2014/15. Private tertiary institutions directly under

the MOE make up almost half of the total number of total tertiary institutions, but only 19% of

enrolment. Applications far exceed admissions, especially for public universities, and female

applications and admissions are much lower in number compared to males. In 2014/15, 25% of

females and 29% of males who applied were admitted to public universities; in 2014/15, 37% of

public university applicants were female and the corresponding figure for polytechnics was 35%.

There are also wide income and regional disparities in completion at the tertiary level: the parity

index for completion rates at the tertiary level between those from the poorest and richest

income quintiles is 0.06. Enrolment in open and distance learning courses has increased for

some institutions (e.g. University of Cape Coast), but has declined for others (e.g. University of

Education Winneba). Current course offerings across universities are often not diversified and

facilities to accommodate students with disabilities are often inadequate.

Regarding quality, PTRs are much higher than the norms recommended by the National Council

for Tertiary Education (NCTE), and less than 40% of teachers have terminal qualifications, a

statistic that varies substantially across universities. The targeted ratio of enrolment in science

subjects to enrolment in arts subjects is 60:40, but at the moment the ratio is 40:60, and this has

remained stagnant for a number of years. The annual publications per lecturer per year is only

0.5 and only one Ghanaian university is ranked among the top 25 universities in Africa.

Given that most tertiary institutions are self-regulated, the NCTE and the National Accreditation

Board (NAB) have limited capacity and legal authority, which constrains their efforts to serve as

supervisory entities. Data for tertiary institutions are usually collected at the end of the academic

year, making it difficult to effectively impact decision-making within the year. In terms of funding,

the government typically provides between 50% and 55% of the total financial resources

provided to the sub-sector, the vast majority of which goes on staff salaries. Internally generated

funds are the second largest source of funding for the tertiary sub-sector and the GETFund

typically provides 8–10% of the sub-sector’s funding. However, in spite of these funding

sources, there have been substantial gaps: in the 2016 academic year, there was a funding gap

of 45%. The Student Loan Trust Fund has been beneficial in increasing access for financially

disadvantaged groups; however, it faces funding challenges in financing loans for all students.

The establishment of new institutions, upgrading of other institutions to tertiary status, and

absorption of private institutions into the public sector by government will place further pressure

on funding to the tertiary sub-sector.

1.10 Wider policy context

1.10.1 Intersectoral coordination and collaboration

Under the GoG other ministries, in addition to the MOE, play an important role in pursuing the

objectives of the ESP. These ministries include the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social

Protection (MoGCSP) and the Ministry of Health, as well as number of ministries that have

supported TVET provision (see the section on the TVET sub-sector in chapter 3 for more


11

information). In addition to the resources allocated to education through the MOE and its

agencies and District Assemblies, these line ministries contribute programmes and resources to

the education sector.

The MoGCSP has a mandate to: coordinate and ensure gender equality and equity; promote

the survival, social protection and development of children, vulnerable and excluded and PWD;

and integrate fulfilment of their rights, empowerment, and full participation in national

development. It therefore has a key role in achieving improved equity in the education sector –

one of the priority themes of this ESP. For example, the MoGCSP works with partners to

promote gender equity through such policies as the National Gender Policy, ‘Mainstreaming

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment into Ghana’s Development Efforts’, which will

affect girls’ potential to access and stay in school. In addition, the MoGCSP oversees and

finances key social protection programmes which contribute to education including, as follows:

The national School Feeding Programme creates the opportunity to bring both girls and

boys into school by ensuring that they are free from hunger, enabling them to concentrate

and focus on learning. The goal of the programme is to deliver a well-organised,

decentralised intervention that provides disadvantaged school children with nutritionally

adequate, locally produced food. In 2015, the programme reached 3,000 schools and about

1.3 million pupils benefited from a daily meal at their school, with the objective of increasing

access to support those most in need.

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme is a cash transfer

programme which has reached over 200,000 extremely poor and vulnerable households. It

is a GoG programme in partnership with the UK Department for International Development

(DFID), UNICEF, and the World Bank. Households with orphaned and vulnerable children

are one of the priority categories of the programme. LEAP is effectively an unconditional

transfer but GoG has aimed to apply co-responsibilities in relation to the receipt of cash

grants, such as children going to school. The LEAP Endline Impact Evaluation found some

impact by the programme on education, with higher enrolment, attendance, and educational

expenditure for LEAP beneficiary children compared to similar children in the Ghana Living

Standard Survey sample. For example, LEAP is reported to have assisted beneficiary

households to meet the educational needs of their children including the purchase of text

books, school uniforms, and bags, among other things. For the next phase of LEAP the

establishment of the Ghana Household Registry is expected to improve the targeting of

LEAP beneficiaries to access cash transfer services and linkages to productive and

financially inclusive employment opportunities, as well as to improve linkages with other

social protection programmes, e.g. the School Feeding Programme.

An intersectoral approach is also key for the inclusion of children with disabilities in the

education sector. There is a need for linkages between educational institutions and social

protection, health, and community-based rehabilitation to enable children with disabilities to be

supported to access learning and to enter schools with a child-friendly environment and where

teachers are trained to practice inclusive education. As laid out in the Inclusive Education policy,

the MOE will liaise with the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to support children with

disabilities, with the Ministry of Health making annual budgetary allocations to support the early

detection of disabilities amongst children. Between schools and community health services

there is also a need for a pupil/student early assessment processes. This needs to include, but


12

not be limited to, screening, treatment, and referrals, and should include the provision of

assistive devices and support services.

The MOE also works with the Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the

provision of programmes targeted largely at the basic education level. The funding for this

comes from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and it is at the discretion of each

District Assembly how much to allocate to education, based on the local need. Infrastructure

improvements form about 80% of District Assembly spending on education, which complements

the rehabilitation and construction that is funded under the MOE budget. In addition to

infrastructure, the MMDAs spend the majority of their remaining education funding in supporting

scholarships and bursaries for pupils, and in the provision of additional teaching and learning

materials (TLMs) and resources for basic schools. A small part of the DACF allocation is

reserved for MPs to initiate and expand development projects in their constituencies, and many

of these projects are also concerned with expanding and improving education.

1.10.2 Decentralisation

The proposal for the decentralisation of education service delivery in Ghana has a long history.

A firm commitment to decentralisation has now been made, as a provision on the

decentralisation of basic education is part of the Pre-Tertiary Education Bill. However, it is not

possible to estimate when the bill will be voted into law, and thus when the proposed new

structures will be functioning.

The decentralisation of basic education lays the responsibility for the provision and

management of first cycle schools (up to JHS) with the District Assembly and more specifically

with the Education Section under the District Department for Education, Youth and Sports. he

District Assembly will be responsible for infrastructure, equipping schools, establishing new

schools, and other functions as described by the Minister of Education. The Director of the

District Department of Education, Youth and Sports, under the advice of the head of the District

Education Section, will be responsible for the appointment, promotion, discipline, and dismissal

of the head teachers and staff of first cycle schools in the districts. As they only have authority

over their own district, it is envisaged that inter-district transfers of school staff will be effected

through the office of the Head of the Local Government Service. As the details of the

implementation of decentralisation are agreed it will become clear on a district by district basis

which assets and liabilities of the GES at the district level will be transferred to the District

Assemblies.

The responsibility for second cycle schools will remain with the MOE and GES headquarters,

whilst oversight will remain the responsibility of the regions, as in the current structure. The

MOE will continue to be responsible for the infrastructure of second cycle schools and the

regional education department will be responsible for ensuring that schools with children with

special needs have access to funding to improve existing infrastructure. The budget for the

regional education department will form part of the GES headquarters budget.


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2 Policy framework of the ESP

This chapter outlines the process of producing this ESP, as well as the guiding principles and

priorities in policy formation and how the plan is situated within other national and internal goals.

2.1 ESP development process

In October 2015, Ghana’s Minister of Education set up a sectoral taskforce to develop a revised

ESP 2018–2030 that would subsume all previous plans. The main rationale for this was to align

Ghana’s education priorities with the changing global agenda for development, anchored in the

SDGs. To pursue this, there was a need to assess the state of education within the current

macroeconomic context, while also considering inputs from wider stakeholders and

incorporating national and international priorities and aspirations. Given this extensive

consultative process, a team of national experts drafted the relevant documents and

consolidated input from various stakeholders. It was also recognised that there was a need for

more analysis on systems capacity, equity, and financial costing, in order to finalise the ESP,

and teams of experts were assembled to conduct this additional analysis. The MOE set up a

Technical Team to provide technical oversight and support to the teams of consultants, taking

responsibility for a thorough, evidence-based, and consultative process of policymaking, and a

timely, useful, and high-quality final ESP 2018–2030, as well as the associated ESMTDP 2018–

2021. The Technical Team fed into a Steering Committee, which took key decisions regarding

policy objectives, sub-objectives, activities, indicators, and targets. Feedback on the ESP was

received through an annual conference hosted by the MOE and through three regional

consultations. A more extensive presentation of the process of drafting the ESP 2018–2030 is

provided in Annex B.

2.2 Development of the ESP

2.2.1 Role of the MOE

The MOE, established under the Civil Service Law 1993 and the PNDC Law 327, is mandated

to provide relevant education to all Ghanaians as a vehicle for individual and national

development. The goal of the MOE is to formulate and implement policies that ensure the

provision of quality and accessible education to all Ghanaians to meet the needs of the labour

market, and to accelerate the acquisition of requisite skills to achieve human development, good

health, poverty reduction, national integration, and international recognition, as well as to create

an honest, creative, and responsible citizenship.

The MOE’s vision, mission, function, and core values are outlined below.

2.2.1.1 Vision

A dynamic sector that prepares and equips all Ghanaians with relevant education and skills to

promote socioeconomic development and national orientation.


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2.2.1.2 Mission

To provide relevant education, with an emphasis on science, information, communication, and

technology, to equip individuals for self-actualisation and peaceful coexistence, as well as skills

for the workplace for national development.

2.2.1.3 Functions

For the purpose of achieving its objectives, the MOE performs the following functions:

initiates and formulates policy options on education for the consideration of government;

initiates and advises on government plans;

undertakes research as may be necessary for the effective implementation of government

policies;

reviews government policies and plans;

coordinates the implementation of sector policies and strategies;

coordinates education stakeholders, such as development partners, civil society, and

teacher unions etc; and

conducts periodic M&E.

2.2.2 Policy direction of the ESP

2.2.2.1 Guiding principles

The ESP reflects five guiding principles:

Access and equity: Equal opportunity to obtain access to education and to learn, and the

provision of an environment that is conducive to learning and achievement of learning

outcomes and that demonstrates fair and just assessment.

Quality: Achievement of high-level standards and system responsiveness at all levels of

education.

Relevance: Learning, including skills development, which is responsive to individual,

community, and national development needs.

Efficiency and effectiveness: Management of all resources that ensure value for money to

achieve desired goals.

Sustainability: Judicious utilisation of human, financial, and material resources to ensure

balanced and continual development of the education system.

2.2.2.2 Education strategic goals

The overall goal of the education sector is ‘to deliver quality education service at all levels that

will equip learners in educational institutions with the skills, competencies and awareness that

would make them functional citizens who can contribute to the attainment of the national goal’.


15

This goal is in accordance with the Education Act 778 and is broken down into seven education

strategic goals, which are linked to different sub-sectors of education, as follows4:

Table 1: Education strategic goals and relevant sub-sector

Sub-sector Strategic goal

Basic education Improved equitable access to, and participation in, quality basic education

Secondary education Improved equitable access to, and participation in, quality SHS education

TVET Strengthened competency-based skills development in TVET

Non-Formal Education Improved opportunities for non-literate youth and adults to have free

access to meaningful quality education and training

Inclusive and Special Education Improved access for persons with disability, the vulnerable, and the talented

Tertiary education Improved equitable access to world-class tertiary education

Education management and

finance Improved planning and management efficiency in the delivery of education

These strategic goals are drawn from the broad vision and mission for Ghana’s education,

policies, international commitments, and key principles.

Each of the key guiding principles are organised along three policy objectives:

improved equitable access to and participation in inclusive quality education at all levels;

improved quality of teaching and learning and science, technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM) at all levels; and

sustainable and efficient management, financing and accountability of education service

delivery.

Within each policy objective, sub-policy objectives are outlined, which are linked to strategies

and activities and serve as the basis for the policy framework of the ESP (see Figure 1). The

MOE used this framework to organise the challenges highlighted by the ESA and to guide the

process of identifying appropriate strategies and activities to address these challenges, which

will ultimately lead to the achievement the goals laid out above.

In order to ensure a coherent response to achieving the overall goal and vision of the education

sector, the MOE developed the sector-level ToC to articulate the inputs necessary to produce

the required outputs, outcomes, and impact at a sector level. The ToC is primarily oriented

towards supporting all children and youth to progress through the different levels of education in

a timely manner; towards a more equity-oriented sector that is defined by free education from

KG to SHS; and towards a more responsive and diversified tertiary sector. Efforts to improve the

outcomes of the education sector in order to support educational progression, as well as to

contribute to socioeconomic development and national priorities, will be supported by improving

the skills and motivation of teachers, providing a more relevant curriculum (supported with

TLMs), developing skills such as information and communication technologies (ICT), and using

assessment to inform the teaching and learning process. Assessment will also contribute to

strengthening learning accountability, and strengthened school and institutional leadership and

4 Henceforth, for brevity, the education sub-sector will be used in lieu of the education strategic goal.


16

management will support more effective and accountable schools and institutions. Communities

and stakeholders will also have an important role to play in strengthening accountability and

supporting the teaching and learning process. The education sector ToC is based on the

assumptions that adequate resources are available for the sector to function effectively and that

political and stakeholder support, including the support of development partners, is sufficient to

ensure the education system continues to strive for improved outcomes and more efficient and

effective use of resources.

Sub-sector-level ToCs have also been designed to reflect the specific requirements of the

different sub-sectors. The input and output levels of the sub-sector-level ToCs are specific to the

sub-sector challenges highlighted in the ESA, with the intermediate outcomes at a level that

contribute to the sub-sector outcome which represents these strategic sub-sector goals, as

identified in Figure 1 below.


17

Figure 1: Policy framework for the ESP 2018–2030


18

ToC for education sector


19

2.3 Reform agenda and education sector priorities

Clear policy imperatives emerge from the ESA, which the MOE has embraced, such as the

need to improve the quality of teaching at the pre-tertiary level through teacher education reform

and the importance of improved TVET coordination through the realignment of that sub-sector.

The policy reform imperatives emerging from the ESA resonate with GoG priorities and are

reflected in the high-level education reform agenda and delivery framework (see Annex A for

more details). This ESP lays out in detail how the various strands of this ambitious reform

agenda represent practical responses to the challenges in the sector. The reform agenda has a

number of pillars that predominantly affect particular levels of education (basic, secondary,

TVET, and tertiary), as well as a number of key reforms to strengthen education management

(see Table 2). Furthermore, some represent whole-sector reform agendas, such as teacher

education reform and basic education curriculum reform, as well as initiatives that will be piloted

in the short to medium term to consider whether they merit a scale-up effort to contribute to

sector development (for example public–private partnerships and improving inspection).

Table 2: Education reform agenda priorities

Education management reforms Education reforms focused on different levels of education

1. Operationalisation of Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional and Management Development Framework

2. School supervision and inspection

3. Basic education decentralisation

4. Public–private partnership (PPP) initiative

5. GES institutional reform

6. Legal, institutional, and regulatory reforms

1. Pre-tertiary education curriculum reform

2. Secondary education reform

3. Teacher education reform

4. TVET reform

5. Tertiary education reform

6. ICT in education reform

This ESP also situates the reform pillars within the appropriate sub-sectors, and it identifies the

links between the various reform pillars and other strategies in the ESP so that the associated

implementation is not carried out in silos. In conjunction, an Education Reform Secretariat will

be set up to provide coordination and oversight of the reform agenda. Furthermore, the ESP

lays out the supporting strategies which are required to ensure the success of the reform

agenda, such as ensuring an improved teacher deployment system to support the teacher

professionalisation reforms.

Meanwhile, GoG recognises the need to prioritise policies and strategies, given the constraints

on capacity and funding. The MOE has therefore developed a ‘Lens for Prioritisation, through

which all proposed policies and strategies are viewed, to assess their potential to move the

education sector towards its goals. If a policy does not strongly and positively stand up under

this lens then it may be deprioritised if there are capacity and financial limitations to effective

implementation. There are three questions underpinning this lens for prioritization:

Does the proposal have a positive impact on learning outcomes?


20

Does the proposal have a positive impact on accountability for learning outcomes?

Does the proposal have a positive impact on equity?

Furthermore, the development of the ESP has thrown into sharp relief the question of the

efficiency and effectiveness of the education system. With limited resources, the management

and accountability of the system is crucial for its success and this has spurred the addition of

strategies to pave the way for improved efficiency in the delivery of education across sub-

sectors. Improving efficiency will be a priority during the implementation of this ESP. It is

expected that improved efficiency will release capacity or financial resources that will be used to

deliver improved learning outcomes, accountability for learning outcomes, and equity, in line

with the ‘Lens for Prioritisation.’

2.4 Alignment of the ESP with national and international goals

The ESP aligns closely with the SDG for education (Goal 4), the African Union Agenda 2063,

and the overall National Development Plan. Based on the ESP, a four-year ESMTDP 2018–

2021 was also developed, in accordance with the guidelines from the National Development

Planning Commission (NDPC). Every four years, more detailed M&E will be conducted and

strategic plans will be linked to resources mobilised from internal and external sources, in order

to accomplish the long-term goals. Figure 2 below shows how the ESMTDP flows from the

national four-year agenda. The ESP 2018–2030 sits within the SDG and African Union 2063

visions as a longer-term plan for the education sector. Annexes C, D, and E elaborate the

national and international commitments to education.

Figure 2: Flow of international policies to national education sector policies


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3 Sub-sector policy objectives, key issues, and strategies

3.1 Basic education – Improved equitable access to and participation in quality basic education

Basic education should provide all learners with the foundational skills and confidence to

prepare themselves to make informed choices and choose between different learning streams

at secondary level. The strategic goal for basic education is ‘improved equitable access to and

participation in quality basic education’. In recent years, access to basic education has improved

significantly but there remain a number of key challenges to the sub-sector, as highlighted by

the ESA, and these are the focus of this sub-sector of the ESP.

Age-appropriate enrolment is a challenge for the basic education sub-sector which currently

hampers the efficiency of the system. There are significant numbers of under-age children

enrolled in KG for whom the sector must currently allocate resources, from its limited resources,

as well as over-age children at all three levels of basic education. Poor quality education in KG

can mean that pupils leave without strong foundations and are not school-ready, and this is

especially critical for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Grade repetition is also a

serious challenge in primary and JHS, which is an indication of a system lacking in the efficiency

and quality of teaching and learning. The high repetition rate in JHS1 is evidence of the number

of under-prepared children transitioning from primary to JHS1. Learning outcomes are poor in

primary, where in 2013 and 2015 EGRA assessments found that only 2% of Grade 2 pupils

could read at the correct grade level and 50% could not read a single word. Furthermore, these

assessments are sample-based, and the system currently lacks national annual assessments at

primary level. At JHS, the BECE results reveal geographical inequities in learning outcomes, as

well as disparities between boys and girls, with girls consistently performing poorly, especially in

maths and science.

Disparities in access are still a feature of the basic education system, particularly at the JHS

level, where girls or boys suffer depending on the region: for example, girls from the Northern

and Western regions tend to have lower enrolment than boys. The marked and continuing rise

in private school enrolment is a significant feature of basic education and points to either poor

provision or the poor quality of the public education system in particular localities. The poor

provision of basic school facilities is a challenge in regard to improving access and plays a role

in the persistent numbers of out-of-school children in Ghana. Finally, management at the basic

school level suffers particularly from a lack of accountability in the system and the poor

functionality of parent–teacher associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees

(SMCs) in many areas at the local level. Linked to this challenge at the basic level is the poor

management and supervision of teachers, and the lack of effective deployment to ensure the

teaching resources are meeting local needs. This issue is addressed more explicitly under the

education management section of the ESP.

Many of these issues are well known in Ghana and are already being addressed through

ongoing programmes. The capitation grant to basic schools has recently been doubled in value

to include both a base grant element and a per capita element, based on learning from the

Ghana Partnership for Education Grant (GPEG) project, which ran from 2013 to 2016. The


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Complementary Basic Education (CBE) programme is providing education in the community to

thousands of out-of-school children to allow them to transition into mainstream education and so

improve access to school. Furthermore, targeted social intervention programmes, such as the

provision of school uniforms and the School Feeding Programme, administered by the

MoGCSP, remove barriers to basic education for the disadvantaged. Work to review and rewrite

the basic education curriculum is already ongoing and seeks to integrate creative skills and also

improve the quality of instruction through reviewing the language of instruction policy and

implementation, based on learning from ongoing interventions and evaluation. There are also

various pilot initiatives to improve data collection, dissemination, and use to effectively manage

local education provision, such as the mobile School Report Card (mSRC) tool.

The ToC for basic education lays out how the acquisition of foundational skills at KG and

primary level, followed by JHS to expand and build on these core skills, will produce learners

that are ready to move on to the next stage of their education. In order to make this transition

seamless, the curriculum must allow pupils to opt for different learning streams following basic

education, whether they choose a vocational or academic track. This ToC follows the same

structure as that for other sub-sectors, with necessarily broad assumptions, including the

following:

continued and sufficient investment in the education sector;

effective community engagement in education to promote a culture of learning and social

accountability;

achieving efficiency gains in the system which are elaborated in the financing framework;

and

successful implementation of the reform agenda, with specific reference to teachers, to

ensure that issues related to recruitment and deployment, professional standards, working

conditions, and accountability are appropriately addressed.

The policies and interventions proposed in this ESP enter the ToC at the input stage, to provide

the building blocks upon which this change will be brought about. With all of these inputs, there

is a recognised need to ensure a strong accountability system which at the basic level focuses

particularly on ensuring that teachers and school leaders have the relevant skills and perform

their basic duties.

All of the policy objectives presented in below (in 3.1.1.) are important for improving the quality

of the basic education delivered in Ghana but among them there are priorities that will be

addressed in the medium term. The most significant challenges to achieving quality basic

education in Ghana relate to the quality, equity, and efficiency of the system, and this is where

the focus of GoG’s immediate reforms and policies lies. The basic education curriculum is being

revised to ensure a greater focus on the foundational skills of reading, writing, arithmetic, and

creativity. This will include setting standards for learning at each grade level and will lead

directly to creating a national standard-based assessment at primary level in order to measure

the quality of learning achievement before the BECE at the end of JHS. In turn, this will provide

the evidence to allow future interventions in the quality of education delivery to be better

targeted. The review of the basic education curriculum will be linked with the revision of the

teacher education curriculum for pre-service training to ensure coherence between the two, and


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both will be coordinated by the reform secretariat. Furthermore, a policy on repetition will be

designed and linked with plans for remedial instruction provision. In future, the secondary

curriculum will also be reviewed, to build upon the progress made at the basic level.

Improving the efficiency of basic education delivery is critical in order to guarantee the

sustainability of the system and various approaches will be used in Ghana to achieve this.

Firstly, the targets for PTRs at KG, primary, and JHS will be raised from their current levels

because salary costs form such a significant portion of the costs of basic education. Improved

teacher deployment systems will ensure a more responsive deployment system that is able to

respond to where teachers are needed and to ensure a better geographical distribution of

teachers. This will also ensure that PTRs in individual schools do not rise to levels that

negatively impact the quality of education, particularly for example where at JHS level teaching

is subject-based rather than class-based and where there is therefore a need to deploy teachers

to meet subject-based demands. This will be linked with the new teacher licensing system to

support the professionalisation of teachers through the implementation of the PTPDM policy

(more detail is given on this in the education management section).

Furthermore, right-age enrolment is also key to improving the internal efficiency of the system.

Right-age enrolment at KG will be enforced to avoid the system effectively paying for the day-

care of under-age children, and older children will be sent to Primary 1 instead of entering KG

aged six or seven. Repetition is a sign of the lack of efficiency in the current system and while it

is possible to track repetition rates through the EMIS, these are seriously under-reported. It is

not possible for schools to systematically track pupils, as explained further in Chapter 4, and so

other KPIs must be relied on to measure the efficiency of the system.

Finally, in a bid to introduce innovation and learn from management practices that could be

more widely introduced, Ghana is launching a pilot public–private partnership (PPP) in basic

and secondary education. This will be focused on improving the quality of education delivered

through contracting out the operation of public schools to not-for-profit organisations and is

another pillar of the reform agenda. The PPP is designed to allow operators to address some of

the complex and interwoven challenges faced by the mainstream system, such as poor

mentoring and accountability of teachers, lack of supervision, and low time-on-task. Non-state

providers will be required to meet clearly defined KPIs or be exited from the programme, while

schools will remain government owned and government funded.

The focus on quality and efficiency in basic education does not mean that the question of

access has already been solved. Targeted interventions are being prioritised in this area to

ensure that no child is left out of the education system. Specifically, improving school

infrastructure, particularly at the KG level, is critical to providing the appropriate learning

environment. Continuing the implementation and, if necessary, expansion of the

Complementary Basic Education programme will ensure that no child is left out of education,

and that every child has the opportunity to join the mainstream system.

KPIs for basic education (more detail is given in M&E chapter), disaggregated by sex, location,

wealth, and disability, when possible, are as follows:

KG NER;


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primary NER;

JHS NER;

net admission rate to primary (NAR);

primary completion rate;

JHS completion rate;

BECE performance5: % pupils scoring above 50% in all four core subjects based on raw

score;

proportion of Primary Grade 4 (P4) pupils with proficiency in English in National Education

Assessment;

proportion of P4 pupils with proficiency in mathematics in National Education Assessment;

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at KG;

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at primary level; and

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at JHS.

5 BECE scores measured on a Standard Nine, ‘Stanine’, system cannot be compared between years and so the raw score will be used, unless the basic education assessment framework develops a new measure of JHS performance to replace it


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ToC for basic education


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3.1.1 Basic education: from policy objectives to strategies

POLICY OBJECTIVE MAIN PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS STRATEGIES

Policy Objective 1: Improved equitable access to and participation in inclusive quality education at all levels

BE 1.1: Increased enrolment in basic schools, particularly in disadvantaged communities

Under- and over-age enrolment, as shown in the dynamics of the GER and NER at the pre-tertiary level, especially in KG, coupled with stagnation in the proportion of OOSC

Low quality of supply in school infrastructure and other facilities in public basic schools weakens demand

Distance to schools in rural areas negatively impacts right-age enrolment

Poor state of school infrastructure, including water and sanitation facilities at all levels of basic education, particularly in disadvantaged communities (a total of almost 7,000 classrooms and toilets at KG, primary, and JHS levels need renovation/rehabilitation)

Numbers of OOSC not declining and communities in some remote deprived districts still unable to access primary schools within 3–5 km radius

Limited information at the district level regarding the distribution of OOSC

Limited government involvement and leadership in the implementation of CBE to date

BE 1.1.1: Improve age-appropriate enrolment in public KG, primary schools, and JHS, focusing on reducing under-age enrolment at KG level and encouraging first time over-age enrollees to attend primary schools rather than KG

BE 1.1.2: Improve quality of supply of infrastructure in public KG, primary schools and JHS to stimulate increased demand, particularly in disadvantaged districts, and to respond to changes in population and the distribution of school demand

BE 1.1.3: Improve ease of, and safety of, access for all children, including limiting distance to school in rural areas

BE 1.1.4: Target social intervention programmes, such as those relating to school feeding, school uniforms, and transport, to ensure that children from disadvantaged groups are enrolled and stay in school

BE 1.1.5: Identify opportunities for and implement multi-grade teaching in some basic schools with low enrolment to improve efficient use of resources

BE 1.1.6 Increase provision of CBE as an interim measure to deliver education to hard-to-reach children (OOSC)


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BE 1.2: Achieved and sustained gender parity in access to quality basic education, with a focus on reducing regional disparities

Low completion rates of girls in JHS, and specifically in JHS1 and JHS2

Lower participation of females at JHS level, with Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 0.93 in GER

Wide disparity in GPI of enrolment and completion between districts and regions

BE 1.2.1: Increase demand for families to enroll and retain girls in school, particularly in JHS

BE 1.2.2: Ensure that gender-friendly guidance and counselling and SHEP policies are in place centrally, and in districts, and are being implemented in schools

Policy Objective 2: Improved quality of teaching and learning and STEM at all levels

BE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs in basic education

Inadequate supply of age-appropriate TLMs

Inadequate procedures and policies for the development, procurement, and distribution of TLMs, especially textbooks

BE 2.1.1: Use effective strategies to ensure that all KG and primary school children develop early grade reading and maths foundational skills in KG through to Primary Grade 3 (P3)

BE 2.1.2: Develop comprehensive policy frameworks for the development and distribution of TLMs and library facilities

BE 2.2: Improved learning assessment to support learning achievement of basic school pupils

Inadequate comprehensive and annual assessment at certain key points of education

Inadequate comprehensive assessment policy to guide learning outcomes

Inadequate teacher capacity to conduct formative and summative assessments at the classroom level

BE 2.2.1: Use effective strategies to ensure that KG promote school readiness and primary school children develop early grade reading and maths foundational skills in KG through to P3

BE 2.2.2: Promote the development of assessment systems for tracking both pupils and school performance on a periodic basis

BE 2.2.3: Strengthen the learning assessment agencies under the MOE


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BE 2.3: Improved learning environments, including health and sanitation, child protection, and guidance and counselling, in basic schools

Inadequate resource mobilisation at district and school level to support school health facilities

Inadequate screening of basic school children to detect health problems

Ongoing use of corporal punishment and inadequate alternative measures to modify behaviour of children in schools

BE 2.3.1: Train head teachers, SMCs, and PTAs in local resource mobilisation to increase resources for school-level health and sanitation facilities

BE 2.3.2: Promote public–private partnerships (CBOs, NGOs, FBOs, and DPs) in integrated school health programmes

BE 2.3.3: Enforce policies to ensure all basic schools meet national norms in health, sanitation, and safety, including national initiatives to reduce HIV/AIDs and sexually transmitted diseases

BE 2.3.4: Improve training for teachers in positive discipline and good classroom management

BE 2.4: Improved quality and relevance of basic education curriculum

Inadequate curriculum to meet needs of students and nation; overloading of curriculum, leading to superficial learning

National language of instruction policy not clear and not effectively implemented

Problem of teaching to the test without acquisition of knowledge and skills

Basic education curriculum has not been reviewed since 2007 (apart from maths, science, English and Ghanaian languages, which were reviewed in 2012)

BE 2.4.1: Develop and implement a comprehensive standards-based basic school curriculum to improve learning achievement in basic (foundational) skills areas, the 4Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, and cReativity)

BE 2.4.2: Improve school-based in-service training led by head teachers, curriculum leads, and circuit supervisors

BE 2.4.3: Use effective strategies to ensure transition from reading in local language to English by P4


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BE 2.5: Enhanced instructional practices of basic education teachers and head teachers

Inadequate national standards to guide teachers’ practices and leadership of heads

Weak strategies put in place for supporting transition from local languages to English language at P4

Inadequate reading practices outside of classroom

Weak instructional leadership of head teachers, curriculum leads, circuit supervisors, and district inspectors

Teachers lack the pedagogical skills to manage classrooms, and teach literacy and numeracy, and have no regular CPD or mentoring; most teachers at KG do not have KG-specific training

BE 2.5.1: Improve instructional leadership of head teachers, curriculum leads, circuit supervisors, and district officers to support improved practices of teachers

BE 2.5.2: Improve capacity of teachers in schools to apply pedagogical best practice

BE 2.5.3: Identify and implement activities to increase outside-of-classroom reading practice (illustrative activities: reading clubs, libraries, book kiosks)

BE 2.5.4 Pilot a public–private partnership in basic schools to improve the quality of learning outcomes through improved management and instructional leadership, and inform future roll-out

BE 2.6: Improved STEM education, quality, and relevance of teaching and learning at the basic school level

Poor learning outcomes in STEM subjects in basic schools

Poor STEM background of teachers

Gendered pattern in results of STEM subjects at BECE

Poor facilities including ICT and laboratories for STEM education at basic schools

BE 2.6.1: Provide relevant opportunities for ICT and skills development with well-supplied ICT facilities

BE 2.6.2: Promote science, mathematics, and technical education in basic schools – particularly for girls

BE 2.6.3: Ensure the availability of qualified science and maths teachers in JHS

Policy Objective 3: Sustainable and efficient management, financing, and accountability of education service delivery

BE 3.1: Improved effectiveness of community-based structures to strengthen their supervisory functions

SMCs in most basic schools are not operational

Ineffectiveness of DEOCs and MEOCs

BE 3.1.1: Train MEOCs, DEOCs, and SMCs to participate in accountability framework implementation, to monitor the delivery of quality education resources, and to assess learning achievement in their zones of authority

BE 3.1.2: Empower PTAs to demand social accountability – especially in disadvantaged communities


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BE 3.2: Strengthened financial management, coordination, and accountability in basic education

Inadequate comprehensive accountability framework

Inadequate training, particularly for head teachers, in financial management of grants provided to basic schools

Weak coordination and communication among education sector partners

BE 3.2.1: Strengthen school management capacity to effectively utilise capitation grants and other subsidies for school improvement

BE 3.2.2: Design, cost out, budget for, and implement an accountability framework for basic education as part of the wider sector accountability framework

BE 3.3: Improved planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems

Ineffective mechanisms for programme management, institutional strengthening, and M&E of project activities

Ineffective planning, monitoring, and supervisory practices by district directors

BE 3.3.1: Strengthen evidence-based planning at district and national level

3.2 Secondary education – Improved equitable access to and participation in quality SHS education

SHS development is key to creating a well-educated workforce that is ready to contribute to

Ghana’s development and to harness the growing youth population, in light of the demographic

transition the country is currently experiencing. In particular, expanding equitable access to

quality SHS is crucial for sustaining and strengthening Ghana’s position as a middle-income

country, and therefore for reducing poverty levels.

Whilst GERs and NERs for SHS have improved substantially in recent years, the sub-sector still

faces challenges, with the GER only reaching 50% in 2016/17, transition rates from JHS to SHS

being only 68%, high levels of repetition, and with many over-age students enrolled in SHS.

Inequities in the system, which start to become visible at JHS, become further entrenched at

SHS. Whilst gender parity has nearly been achieved (0.96 in 2016/17), there are substantial

inequities to access across wealth quintiles: those coming from the poorest 20% of households,

the most deprived districts, and/or from rural areas, are about five to six times less likely to

access SHS.

Inequity is also reflected in learning outcomes – with the three northern regions performing the

most poorly in the WASSCE. Gender disparities in performance, to the detriment of girls, exist

across all regions for maths, science, and social studies, and, in the three northern regions, for

English as well. At the school level, there are large variations in performance: in some schools,

nearly 100% of students achieve grades of A1 to C6 in WASSCE, and in many others 0% do so.

Ghana’s SHS system has some excellent SHS that are highly selective and in recent years

almost 99% of those who have attended private JHS are placed in these elite public SHS. This

trend has perpetuated the inequities in the system, with only a small number of SHS supplying

over 90% of those who are admitted to higher education. Whilst 90% of teachers in SHS are


31

trained, this does not seem to be translating into good-quality learning outcomes. The situation

is exacerbated by low textbook–student ratios, which have declined substantially in recent years

– for example, reaching 0.5 in 2016/17 for maths.

The introduction of free SHS in September 2017 is a significant reform which is expected to

address the access and equity challenges in the sector, in particular by addressing the costs of

SHS, which have been identified as a key barrier to attendance. In addition, the free SHS policy

has made progress in opening up access to elite SHS schools by ensuring that 30% of seats in

SHS are reserved for those from public JHS. In recent years, there have also been efforts to

expand school infrastructure to accommodate growing enrolment in SHS, including through the

Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP). 124 new SHS schools are planned, with 44

already completed. However, with expected increased enrolment through free SHS and

increasing student–classroom ratios, which reached 48 in 2016/17, despite the much lower PTR

of 20 in 2014/15, a focus on understanding and meeting infrastructure requirements will remain.

Free SHS is not limited to expanding access and the fees absorbed by government also include

levies which can be put back into schools for quality interventions, such as school-based in-

service training. Furthermore, the school feeding for day students instituted under the free SHS

programme will enhance quality by improving the learning environment for students and the

commitment to quality is underlined by the increased provision of textbooks to ensure sufficient

TLMs for the increased enrolment. The SEIP has also introduced interventions to improve

quality in SHS, such as leadership and management training and School Performance

Partnership Plans (SPPPs), which have subsequently been rolled out to over 80% of all public

SHS in the country. As part of the MOE’s plans to integrate the use of ICT in teaching, the SEIP

has also supported the development and roll-out of the i-box, a repository of learning resources

for SHS core subjects that can be wirelessly accessed on the school campus.

The ToC for SHS depends on the implementation of free SHS in a manner that adequately

addresses equity concerns in terms of location, gender, and wealth quintile, both in access and

learning outcomes. In turn, this will improve the trajectory and opportunities post-SHS for the

most marginalised. Key to the achievement of the ToC is addressing the quality of education in

SHS – ensuring improved teaching and learning, relevant TLMs (including use of ICT), and

strengthening the implementation of STEM. Underpinning this will be strengthened school

management and leadership at SHS level. Achievement of the ToC is based on the

assumptions that the system will have the necessary resources and capacity to implement the

planned reforms. In addition, it is assumed that the planned expansion of SHS will be

implemented in a way that reduces inequities, especially disparities relating to gender, wealth,

and disabilities. Furthermore, the free SHS policy, including its focus on student performance,

will be carefully monitored and adjusted, to ensure it does not exacerbate inequality at this level.

Strategies included in the ESP will involve a strong focus on increasing equitable access,

improving learning outcomes through relevant curricula and improved teaching and resources,

and strengthening school management and leadership. Training of heads in effective school

management and proposed performance contracts for heads of SHS should increase

accountability at SHS levels. Ensuring adequate and timely disbursement of resources will also


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support improved management and accountability – disbursements for the free SHS policy were

rolled out in a timely fashion for the first term of the 2017/18 academic year, which has allowed

for adequate planning and implementation.

A new integrated curriculum reform should see a greater focus on learning outcomes as

teachers will be trained in the delivery of specific curriculum objectives. The new curricula will be

supported by ICT-linked strategies and will include a stronger promotion of STEM (and

increased provision of relevant science equipment), with the aim of achieving the 60/40

enrolment target for science/arts and humanities at tertiary level (which currently stands at

40/60). This links to the increased focus on STEM at the basic level, as the increased uptake of

STEM at SHS is contingent upon success there. Investment in strategies to improve quality

(teachers, classrooms, TLMs) will be a priority to ensure that increased funding to SHS by GoG

translates into learning outcomes and does not exacerbate current inequities. The ongoing SEIP

provides an example of targeting quality enhancements to under-performing schools to improve

equity.

Efficiency in SHS and improving equity will be a key priority for the ESP. In the short term, SHS

will introduce remedial strategies to support those in need to graduate from SHS 3 within three

years, as well as interventions targeted at under-served districts and communities, building on

the work of the SEIP. In addition, free SHS has introduced a unique student ID, allowing the

MOE to track students from their BECE exams through SHS enrolment and to WASSCE for the

first time in Ghana. This creates huge potential to track equity based on JHS origin, as well as to

obtain accurate repetition rates, as the system is developed. It is important to note that right-age

entry to SHS is a medium-/long-term goal as the problem has its origins at the KG level. In

addition, enabling those who are most marginalised to enter SHS rests on them being able to

survive through the education system to SHS. These issues will be addressed through the basic

education response.

A research agenda at the secondary level is in place that will continue to produce pertinent

research, especially on equity and quality outcomes. Efforts to improve quality at SHS will be

based on using research and evidence to inform decision-making, including the results of a pilot

public–private partnership at SHS. In addition, careful monitoring of the free SHS policy,

including targeting of under-performing schools and districts, will be key to building a more

equitable system.

KPIs for SHS (disaggregated by sex, location, wealth and disability, when possible) are as

follows:

SHS GER;

transition rate from JHS3 to SHS1;

SHS retention rate6;

6 This is defined as the proportion of a cohort starting SHS who stay on and complete SHS.


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% of Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Category 3 schools

admitting at least 30% of students from public JHS;

proportion of WASSCE candidates achieving pass in core subjects (A1 to C6) (English, core

maths, integrated science, and social studies).


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ToC for SHS


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3.2.1 Senior secondary education: from policy objectives to strategies

SUB-POLICY OBJECTIVE

MAIN PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS STRATEGIES


SE 1.1: Policy to ensure public SHS are free for all Ghanaian children is implemented

Cost is a barrier to attending SHS: nationally, 26% of JHS students who are placed in SHS do not attend (compared to 11% when offered full SHS scholarships)

GER reached only 50% in 2016/17

JHS3 to SHS1 transition is low, at 68%

Policy to ensure public SHS are free to all Ghanaian children will put pressure on existing facilities, teachers, classrooms, TLMs, etc.

Inadequate information on entry requirements and course offerings for SHS

SE 1.1.1: Renovate, expand, and appropriately equip SHS to accommodate increasing demand

SE 1.1.2: Implement a promotion strategy to encourage students to attend free public SHS and select appropriate SHS to attend

SE 1.2: Improved access for disadvantaged groups

More resources required to ensure that gender parity at SHS is reached: in 2016/17, gender parity was 0.96

Children with special needs are underrepresented in SHS: they make up 1.8% of the population of school-going age but only account for 0.2% of enrolment in SHS

Large inequities in accessing SHS, with those in the three northern regions and the lowest income quintiles much less likely to attend SHS

SE 1.2.1: Ensure the provision of a gender-friendly environment, guidance, and counselling in all schools, and especially where there are large disparities in gender parity

SE 1.2.2: Remove all barriers to SHS education for special needs/disabled students

SE 1.2.3: Encourage access for those from low-income backgrounds and deprived districts


36


SE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs and equipment in SHS

Target for textbook–student ratio has not been achieved and has been declining: student–textbook ratio is about 0.50 for mathematics, science, and English textbooks

Large degree of regional variation in provision of textbooks

Delay in producing textbooks when a new curriculum has been approved

Poor internet connection facilities in SHS

Inadequacy of computers and inadequate integration of ICT in teaching and learning at SHS

Introduction of free SHS will constrain existing resources

SE 2.1.1: Invest in TLMs and equipment in SHS

SE 2.1.2: Introduce in-school remedial tuition/support, particularly for SHS1, to improve learning outcomes and reduce repetition

SE 2.2: Improved learning outcomes for girls in all subjects, and for all students in STEM subjects

Much lower enrolment in elective science and maths subjects compared to other courses

WASSCE pass rates for science and mathematics are low: 49% and 34%, respectively, in 2016/17

Large disparities in learning outcomes in the three northern regions compared to the rest of the country

WASSCE pass rates are substantially lower for girls in maths, integrated science, and social studies, and only 20% of girls qualify for tertiary, compared to 26% of boys

Inadequate qualified teachers in STEM subjects

SE 2.2.1: Invest in STEM materials and facilities to ensure SHS graduates are adequately prepared for tertiary institutions and the world of work

SE 2.2.2: Invest in improving learning outcomes for girls in all subjects, especially STEM

SE 2.3: Improved quality and relevance of SHS curriculum and enhanced delivery of curriculum and assessment framework

Current curriculum has not been reviewed since 2010 to accommodate new pedagogical practices and ways of learning

Low teacher time-on-task

Proportion of teachers trained in SHS is 90%, but continuous professional development is necessary to ensure quality

Early WASSCE examinations in SHS3 do not allow for full three-year course

Public perception that a high proportion of students are completing SHS without being functionally literate is becoming real

SE 2.3.1: Improve quality and relevance of SHS curriculum

SE 2.3.2: Enhance instructional practices of SHS teachers

SE 2.3.3: Pilot a public–private partnership in SHS to improve quality of learning outcomes through improved management and instructional leadership, and to inform future roll-out

SE 2.3.4: Strengthen assessment to inform instructional interventions


37


SE 3.1: Strengthened supervision, management, and accountability in SHS

Head teachers are appointed without any training in school leadership

Poor accountability structures for school heads

SE 3.1.1: Strengthen supervision and management of teaching and learning in SHS

SE 3.1.2: Strengthen supervisory functions of school governing boards and PTAs

SE 3.1.3: Strengthen financial management and accountability

SE 3.2: Improved research, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems

Inadequate reported indicators on M&E at SHS

Inadequate research into SHS quality to determine better policy direction

SE 3.2.1: Strengthen research and M&E systems

3.3 TVET – Strengthened competency-based skills development in TVET

TVET is one of the levels of education that provides skilled personnel to the economy. Although

the economy requires technical and vocational skills, few current workers have them – only

17.6% of employees in the total workforce have secondary school, TVET, or higher education

qualifications, and 25% of employees have never been to school. The challenges are

exacerbated by a mismatch between the skills supplied by TVET and the labour market demand

for skills. An additional challenge is the low industry investment and involvement in this sub-

sector.

Efforts to improve access within this sub-sector are constrained by low public perceptions:

technical and vocational education is usually thought of as an option for under-performing

students and many who are placed in these institutions often do not end up attending. This is

further compounded by the poor state of training facilities and equipment, and a low absorption

capacity for existing TVET institutions: only 5–7% of JHS graduates can be admitted into public

and private TVET schools. The participation of women and PWD in this sub-sector is particularly

low, especially in traditionally male-dominated areas such as engineering and construction: 26%

female enrolment was registered for 2015/16 and in Senior High Technical Schools, this

percentage was just 11% in 2016/17.

In addition, only 52% of TVET institute teaching staff possess technical qualifications. Staffing

norms and standards vary substantially throughout the country and there are also serious

problems with the management of TVET institutions, resulting in high rates of teacher

absenteeism and low morale. Consequently, learning outcomes in this sub-sector are poor,

especially for students at the Technician level, with only 30% of students on average passing

the Technician I examinations. This sub-sector receives less than 3% of the overall education

expenditure, although approximately 2% of this is funding raised through IGF from fees and

production services.


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Access to TVET institutions has steadily increased, both in Senior High Technical Schools and

TVET institutions, with between 40,000 to 60,000 students studying each year. However,

despite these increases, in 2016/17 there were only 120 public TVET institutions and there has

been a recent decline in the number of private institutions. The current provision of TVET is

poorly coordinated and fragmented as it is administered across more than 15 ministries. The

introduction of GoG’s new TVET policy will bring all TVET providers under the MOE, which will

result in greater coordination between providers and allow for a more streamlined National

TVET Qualifications Framework under the Council for TVET (COTVET).

The TVET ToC is based on improving coordination of TVET institutions under the MOE,

improving access in under-served communities, and improving quality by enhancing the

relevance of the curriculum and TVET offer, along with the training of TVET teachers. Through

increasing the budget allocation and increasing public–private partnerships the expectation is

that TVET will become a more attractive pathway for students and will provide relevant skills for

the current and future workforce needs. However, improvement in TVET delivery is based on

the assumptions that GoG/the MOE will make the necessary financial investment in TVET, and

will develop courses that are more responsive to the needs of the economy, which will require

ongoing labour market studies. Furthermore, the low public perception of TVET will be

addressed with demand-side issues in TVET through developing courses with high demand and

with flexible modes of delivery, such as short-term, part-time, and modular courses.

The ESP response to existing challenges is therefore to implement the new TVET policy and

ensure improved coordination of provision, increase access, and improve relevance under the

umbrella of the realignment of the TVET sub-sector, which is a key pillar of the reform agenda.

All TVET programmes and institutions will be brought under the MOE, to improve coordination,

coherence, monitoring, and quality of the offer provided. These institutions, along with their

budgets, will fall under the oversight of the MOE and improving data collection and collation

from TVET institutions will be an important part of mapping the success of the realignment. The

new TVET curriculum will be developed in close cooperation with the industrial, commercial,

and business sectors. In line with curriculum reform in other sub-sectors, the new TVET

curriculum will be competency based. The competencies will be based on identified skills’ gaps,

and will be decided on in collaboration with the private sector.

Through the reorganisation of teacher education under the associated reform programme, the

College of Technology Education, Kumasi (COLTEK) will be provided with the mandate and

capacity (human and financial) to become the apex institution for TVET teacher training. In

addition, heads of TVET institutions will be granted the necessary authority to make them

accountable for student performance. Individual institutions will be given the authority to develop

part-time courses and local skills development courses, in order to increase the image of TVET

and make it more demand driven. Efforts will be made to develop the framework for TVET

public–private partnerships, bringing the world of study and work into a more productive

relationship. This development will be enhanced by the policy of increasing the number of TVET

teachers who have workplace or industrial experience.

Achievement of the expected outcomes of the TVET education sub-sector will be measured by

the following KPIs (disaggregated by sex, location, wealth, and disability, when possible):


39

enrolment in MOE/GES TVIs;

% of BECE (JHS) candidates selecting TVIs for further education and training;

% MOE/GES TVIs with smart classrooms, workshops, functional laboratories, and libraries;

% female enrolment in MOE/GES TVIs; and

% of TVI leavers who are in productive employment two years after graduation.


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ToC for TVET


41

3.3.1 TVET: from policy objectives to strategies




TVET 1.1: Expanded and upgraded teaching, learning, and training infrastructure to increase access

Inadequate number of good-performing TVET institutions

Inadequate learning and training facilities

Outdated curriculum

Over-dependence on limited public resources for quality TVET provision

TVET 1.1.1: Establish new TVET centres and upgrade existing facilities

TVET 1.2: Increased enrolment of all categories of learners, including females, PWDs and disadvantaged groups

Declining enrolments and low participation of females (25%) and PWDs in TVET

Only 18% of females are enrolled in male-dominated occupational areas

Inadequate infrastructural facilities and with access for PWDs

TVET 1.2.1: Introduce demand-driven programmes that are offered in mixed modes to respond to the needs of part-time and full-time learners

TVET 1.2.2: Increase enrolment of females and learners with special needs and disabilities

TVET 1.3: Improved public perception and attractiveness of TVET through rebranding and popularisation

Low social demand for TVET; <7% of JHS graduates opt for TVET at the second cycle level

Persistent notion and perception that TVET is for academically weak students

Inadequate knowledge of the importance and role of TVET in socioeconomic development

Low public awareness of the employment opportunities that TVET offers for the youth

Inadequate career guidance and counselling for learners at the lower levels of the education system

Inadequate recognition of the NTVETQF as a pathway to decent employment and academic progression

TVET 1.3.1: Design and deploy strong advocacy and communication tools to actively promote the importance of TVET in national socioeconomic development


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TVET 2.1: Improved quality of TVET provision

Inadequate teacher quality: teachers lack professional and workplace experience

Inadequate workplace experiential learning and internships for students

Limited technology-mediated learning and use of ICT in TVET provision

Obsolete training equipment and facilities

Restrictive progression pathways to higher-level TVET for pre-tertiary TVET learners

TVET 2.1.1: Strengthen the pedagogical and professional/industry-related skills of TVET teachers

TVET 2.1.2: Improve workplace experiential learning progression of learners to higher-level TVET

TVET 2.2: Improved relevance of the TVET curriculum to labour market demands and emerging economic sectors

Mismatch between skills in demand by industry and those supplied by training institutions

Misalignment of training with industry occupational standards

Inadequate number of STEM-based programmes

Limited knowledge of green concepts and technologies and green jobs in TVET provision

TVET 2.2.1: Develop and deliver curriculum based on identified skills gaps and occupational standards

TVET 2.2.2: Integrate green technologies into TVET provision and prepare learners for green jobs

TVET 2.2.3: Strengthen STEM-based programmes, the learning of entrepreneurial skills, and CBT methodology in TVET provision to enhance employability


TVET 3.1: A strong legal, governance, and regulatory framework for greater coherence and accountability of the TVET system

Poor coordination among multiple TVET delivery agencies

Multiplicity of standards, testing, and certification regimes

Inadequate regulatory and quality assurance mechanisms

Absence of comprehensive and reliable data and statistics on TVET

Very little TVET research to support policy planning and decision-making

TVET 3.1.1: Establish new TVET governance structure and regulatory framework that is embedded within national development plans

TVET 3.1.2: Involve sector skills councils in the development and quality assurance of TVET programmes and assessment of learners

TVET 3.1.3: Strengthen TVET research and TVET management information system and integrate with EMIS database

TVET 3.2: Adequate and sustainable financing of TVET delivery

Inadequate public funding of TVET (approximately 3% of education sector budget)

Low private sector/industry investment and involvement in financing of TVET

TVET 3.2.1: Seek increase in budgetary allocation to TVET and explore alternative funding sources


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3.4 NFE – Improved opportunities for non-literate youth and adults to have free access to meaningful quality education and training

NFE should provide opportunities for non-literate youth and adults to be able to access quality

education and training to enable them to attain basic skills. NFED is the primary agency

responsible for the provision of NFE, especially functional literacy and community education

programmes. There has been progress in Ghana in reducing illiteracy in recent years – for

example, only 35% of those over 65 years old are literate, compared to 86% of 15 to 24 year

olds. However, there are still more than 1.2 million illiterate adults in Ghana, mostly

concentrated in the three northern regions and within the lowest income quintiles. In addition, by

the end of basic education, only 54% of males and 43% of females aged 15–44 have acquired

literacy skills that are likely to persist through adulthood.

The main intervention that the MOE employs to improve literacy rates for the non-formal

economy is the National Functional Literacy Programme (NFLP). The latest programme enrolled

over 17,000 learners. This programme offers a second chance to learners who have been

unable to benefit from the formal system for whatever reason. Approximately 1,200 National

Service Persons (NSPs) have been recruited to serve as facilitators of the programme.

However, there has been little training for them to become effective facilitators. While other

initiatives have also been employed, such as delivering literacy programmes on the radio, these

are severely underfunded and progress has slowed substantially. Attempts to develop a literacy

phone application also suffer from a lack of funding. Funding gaps for NFED affect quality

measures in terms of training for facilitators, TLMs, curriculum review, supervision, and even the

printing of materials. There has also been limited scope for NFED to offer initiatives related to

skills development.

NFE received the least of government education expenditures in 2015, which is almost entirely

recurrent and demonstrates a low commitment to NFE programmes. Efforts of NFED in

providing literacy programmes are hamstrung by the fact that it does not possess agency status,

and thus does not benefit from the clarification and ability to implement its mandate associated

with such a status. In addition, adult literacy is a cross-cutting issue, which affects various

ministries and sectors; however, at present there is no national policy on NFE and adult

learning, which mitigates effective implementation and oversight, and leaves this sub-sector

fragmented.

The ToC outlines the expectation that by increasing adult literacy programmes in targeted

populations (female, rural, lower wealth quintiles, and northern regions) and making more

relevant NFE programmes available should increase the appeal of NFE and improve access as

well as equity in literacy attainment. By addressing institutional and budget challenges, as well

as exploring linkages across sectors and with the private sector, NFED should be able to fulfil its

mandate. This will assist in ensuring the improved quality of programmes, with trained

facilitators with appropriate materials available, as well as improved M&E of NFE programmes.

The achievement of the expected outcome of the ToC is based on the MOE carrying out the

planned institutional reform of NFED, as well as the assumptions of an improved understanding


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and response to the diverse NFE needs of the population and that resources are available to

enable the NFED to fulfil its mandate.

The policies and strategies proposed below for NFE are key to achieving the goal of the NFE

sub-sector. Within them are priorities to ensure improved outcomes from NFE programmes,

improved equity in literacy and skills access and attainment, as well as improved accountability

for investments in line with the lens for prioritisation for investment of resources for this ESP.

The priorities are reforming NFED to enable it to have a clearer mandate and access to funding,

and carrying out a National Literacy Competency Survey to provide much-needed evidence of

client needs. This will provide the necessary information to design more client-oriented curricula

and programmes, and will make it possible to offer programmes in those areas with least

access and highest need. Failing to address the quality and relevance of NFE programmes

could lead to inefficient investments of resources.

Achievement of the expected outcomes of the NFE sub-sector will be measured by the following

KPIs (disaggregated by sex, location, wealth, and disability, when possible):

enrolment in face-to-face adult literacy programmes;

enrolment in newly created NFE programmes;

number of new NFE programmes developed with textbook/content material (aggregate from

baseline);

number of new learning centres built; and

proportion of non-formal graduates who access skills development opportunities.


45

ToC for NFE


46

3.4.1 NFE: from policy objectives to strategies




NFE 1.1: Increased enrolment in NFE programmes

Current resources are inadequate to support the adult literacy need in Ghana

National Functional Literacy Programme is not adequate to address all groups with literacy needs in Ghana

Low enrolment in NFE programmes, as evidenced by the non-participation by the target group in NFE programmes

Large geographical disparities in literacy rates among 15–24-year-olds: less than 70% of 15–24-year-olds in the three northern regions were literate in 2014, compared to over 90% in Greater Accra

NFE 1.1.1: Improve access to existing National Functional Literacy Programme and future NFE programmes, particularly through improvements in infrastructure

NFE 1.1.2: Develop additional NFE literacy programmes to include more learners

NFE 1.1.3 Increase enrolment of learners with special needs, disabilities, women, and disadvantaged groups

NFE 1.2: Increased awareness of NFE programmes

Low awareness of NFE programmes

Low image and public perception of NFE at all levels

NFE 1.2.1: Actively promote and rebrand NFE through enhanced advocacy and strong communication


NFE 2.1: Improved quality of programme delivery, including curriculum, TLMs, assessment, and progression

NFE facilities lack TLMs to ensure effective teaching

Lack of progression from basic literacy programmes to higher skills

Lack of assessment structure for learners to earn certification

Curriculum has not been reviewed in several years

NFE 2.1.1: Ensure provision of TLMs in all NFE programmes

NFE 2.1.2 Strengthen curriculum relevance and delivery

NFE 2.1.3 Strengthen assessment in NFE programmes and strengthen progression possibilities from NFE programmes



47

NFE 3.1: Coherent legal and institutional framework that allows NFE to respond to non-formal demands provided

Absence of clear articulation of the role and target population of NFE programmes

Absence of a national policy on NFE and adult learning mitigates effective implementation of activities. NFE cuts across ministries and sectors, but there is no national policy to coordinate efforts

Inadequate political will for NFE programmes, resulting in inadequate support and funding

NFE 3.1.1: Strengthen NFE delivery through clearly defined policy

NFE 3.1.2: Restructure NFED into an agency, with a renewed mandate

NFE 3.2: Adequate and sustainable financing and allocation of resources to all NFE operations

NFE inadequately financed to support existing programmes or expand into new areas

Poor coordination with private sector, which could help alleviate financial burden for NFE

NFE 3.2.1: Lobby MOE for improved and systematic increase of resource allocation to NFE

NFE 3.2.2 Explore additional sources of funding for NFE operations

NFE 3.3: Accountability and quality assurance mechanism of NFE programmes delivery strengthened

Not enough indicators currently being collected to report on NFE

Irregular M&E of NFE programmes

NFE 3.3.1: Improve supervision, monitoring, and reporting of NFE initiatives

NFE 3.3.2 Design and implement standards for quality delivery of all NFE programme variables

NFE 3.4: Strengthened intersectoral links to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for NFE graduates

Lack of options for non-formal graduates

Poor linkages across sectors to promote lifelong learning

NFE 3.4.1: Strengthen links across sectors to enable NFE graduates to access skill development opportunities

3.5 Inclusive and special education – Improved access for persons with disability, the vulnerable, and the talented

Inclusive education is concerned with providing education to both children with disabilities who

are already in school and those who are out of school. Population census data indicate that

although prevalence of disabilities is reported to be 1.6% for the school-age population,

enrolment of children with disabilities is low (0.2% to 0.4% of total enrolment) between KG and

SHS. Furthermore, this quoted figure for prevalence of disabilities (1.6%) is likely to be

underestimated, due to low detection rates. The number of pupils with disabilities in schools is

also likely to be underestimated in the EMIS system: for example, only 16% of schools declare

having at least one pupil with a disability. One explanation for this could be the late detection of

disabilities or the lack of training for teachers to identify disabilities. Increased collaboration with

health services would aid better assessment and identification of children with disabilities.

Children with disabilities have lower attendance rates compared to those without disabilities,


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and are not progressing through the system. The lack of facilities in basic and secondary

schools disproportionately affects children with disabilities, with almost no regular basic schools

having hand-rails, and only 8% equipped with ramps. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there

exists a large degree of stigma/discrimination in relation to children with disabilities.

Currently, the education sector promotes the inclusion of children with disabilities through

special schools and inclusion in mainstream schools. The proportion of trained teachers in

special schools is higher than in regular schools and PTRs are lower in special schools

compared to regular schools, ranging from 7 to 11. However, there are consistent differences.

Pupils with disabilities have consistently poorer learning outcomes in reading, writing, and

maths than pupils without disabilities. Data collection and reporting for inclusive and special

education is limited, leading to an inability to effectively diagnose this sub-sector and a reliance

on national-level surveys. However, with the support of UNICEF, in 2017 the MOE carried out a

full diagnosis of the education sector in relation to inclusive education and this in-depth analysis

will be used to inform improvements in provision moving forward.

This sub-sector is also severely underfunded: in 2015, only 0.6% of total recurrent education

expenditure was spent on inclusive and special education, which is concerning given the extra

needs of the learners concerned.

The ToC for inclusive and special education focuses on increasing access to education for

children with disabilities, through increasing links between special education institutions and

mainstream schools; providing appropriate infrastructure; improving detection and support for

children with disabilities in regular schools; and creating awareness and building the capacity of

service providers to support inclusive education. In order to improve the quality of education for

children with disabilities, initial teacher education should promote inclusion, and new and

experienced teachers should be trained to effectively teach learners with special educational

needs (SEN). Provision of specialised TLMs, including assistive devices, will enable children

with disabilities to access learning opportunities and will lead to improved learning outcomes.

The ToC is based on the assumptions that the MOE will invest sufficient funds to allow for the

necessary physical infrastructure improvements and support to children with disabilities; that the

teacher education and curriculum reform programmes will address the needs of inclusive and

SEN education; and that management at all levels (from central to school) will receive

comprehensive training on disability detection and on advocacy skills.

Given the priority of improving access and learning for children with disabilities, this sub-sector

response will focus on that area. Priority will be given to improving physical infrastructure and

supporting access to schools and learning through the provision of appropriate TLMs, including

assistive devices. Reform processes related to curriculum and teacher education will strengthen

inclusion in the curriculum and teacher training, as well as specialist training for teaching

children with disabilities. Support for children in mainstream schools will be improved by

enabling special education institutions to be transformed to serve as resource centres to assist

mainstream system access. However, in order to improve community understanding and

support for children with disabilities, including increasing early detection, advocacy and

sensitisation in relation to SEN will be increased and linkages with local health authorities

strengthened. Coordination with other ministries, such as the Ministry of Health and MoGCSP,


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is key to ensuring a coordinated and effective approach to the detection and support of students

with disabilities. Training and support for school management, head teachers, and teachers on

the principles and practices of inclusive and special needs education will be prioritised in order

to strengthen awareness and to improve accountability in relation to schools providing education

for children with disabilities.

Achievement of the expected outcomes of the inclusive and special education sub-sector will be

measured by the following KPIs:

% enrolment of SEN learners in public integrated basic schools and SHS;

number of learners with SEN detected annually at different levels of education;

% of teachers in public basic schools and SHS trained in effectively teaching learners with

SEN;

the status of the mainstreaming of inclusive education;

% of special schools/regional assessment centres functioning as resource centres for

inclusive education; and

% of integrated basic public schools provided with specialised TLMs for SEN learners.


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ToC for inclusive and special education


51

3.5.1 Inclusive and special education: from policy objectives to strategies

SUB-POLICY OBJECTIVE MAIN PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS STRATEGIES


ISE 1.1: Expanded/transformed school infrastructure to encourage enrolment of learners with SEN

Only 32% of special schools have ramps, and 23% have hand-rails

Only 44% of regular basic schools have functional water facilities and 43% have no electricity

Poor sanitation facilities: 46% of SHS have no hand-washing facility

SEN learners make up only 0.2–0.4% of total enrolment in pre-tertiary institutions, despite prevalence rates being 1.7% in the overall population of pre-tertiary learners

ISE 1.1.1: Ensure that the design of the physical infrastructure of existing educational institutions/schools are modified to enhance opportunities for learners with SEN ISE 1.1.2: Transform existing special education institutions to serve as resource centres to assist the mainstream system

ISE 1.2: Safer, more friendly and inclusive environment for learners with SEN created

Inadequate community involvement in SEN issues

Learners with SEN experience stigma and discrimination

ISE 1.2.1: Promote understanding of learners with SEN in schools and communities through sensitisation and advocacy ISE 1.2.2: Ensure learners with SEN feel protected and safe from harm

ISE 1.3: Strengthened systems for the early detection of learners with SEN

Early detection of challenges is an issue due to facilitators’ inadequate knowledge as regards identifying needs

Minimal or no assessment services are provided to SEN children in mainstream schools

Poor collaboration with other ministries (especially Ministry of Health)

Lack of early detection has likely underestimated the total population of SEN learners

Prevalence rate is increasing by age level and this is unlikely due to higher proportion of SEN learners, and more because early detection is a problem

ISE 1.3.1: Develop capacity of schools and community members to be able to detect learners with SEN early, and ensure infrastructure is in place for this to occur


52

ISE 1.4: Increased enrolment of vulnerable populations and learners with SEN from excluded groups

Social intervention programmes do not currently cover schools/children with SEN

Few policies in place to address vulnerable groups, such as orphans, street children, dropouts, etc.

ISE 1.4.1: Ensure social intervention programmes reach schools/children with SEN

ISE 1.4.2: Ensure better collaboration and sensitisation, and better data collection, to include marginalised populations


ISE 2.1: National curricula content, assessment processes, and benchmarks reviewed, revised, or adapted, and teachers trained to deliver curriculum effectively

National curriculum does not adequately cover strategies and pedagogy for learners with SEN

Teachers do not have the tools to deal with learners with SEN, especially as fewer teachers in mainstream basic schools are trained compared to special schools

ISE 2.1.1: Review, revise, and adapt curriculum for learners with SEN ISE 2.1.2: Train existing teachers and attract new teachers to effectively teach learners with SEN

ISE 2.2: Relevant TLMs provided for learners with SEN

Inadequate TLMs in classrooms to address needs of learners with SEN: currently, TLMs are braille textbooks that only address students with visual disabilities

ISE 2.2.1: Ensure learners with SEN are provided with specialised TLMs to support their needs

ISE 2.3: Educational personnel, administrators, parents, and community oriented and sensitised on inclusion and inclusive practices

Inadequate knowledge of how parents and community can allow children with learning disabilities to reach their potential

Inadequate resources for children with SEN to access the labour market

ISE 2.3.1: Ensure parents, community, and educational personnel have tools to enhance children's learning abilities

ISE 2.3.2: Train school management, head teachers and teachers on the principles and practices of inclusive and SEN education


ISE 3.1: Research, monitoring, and evaluation systems strengthened

Gaps in data collection to fully understand the scale of the SEN issue, both in terms of enrolment statistics and facilities provided by schools

Not enough indicators for special schools currently being collected

ISE 3.1.1: Review and realign EMIS to reflect inclusive education issues


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ISE 3.2: Smooth implementation of inclusive education policy

Inclusive education policy was recently developed: clear processes are required to address roll-out

Inclusive education and SEN are currently siloed and not addressed holistically across Ghana

Inclusive education and SEN are underfunded compared to other sub-sectors: only 0.6% of total recurrent education sector expenditure goes toward inclusive education

ISE 3.2.1: Ensure administrative and financing structures are in place for inclusive education policy roll-out ISE 3.2.2: Promote an intersectoral approach to resolving cross-cutting issues


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3.6 Tertiary education – Improved access to world-class tertiary education

The tertiary education sub-sector is expected to produce cadres of highly qualified individuals to

support economic and social development in Ghana. The tertiary sub-sector is also responsible

for training Ghana’s teaching profession. However, the sector faces challenges in terms of

limited provision, severe inequities, and low quality. Whilst both the number of tertiary

institutions, and enrolment in such institutions, have increased over time, the GER remains low,

at about 16% in 2015/16, and total enrolment is approximately 422,000. Private tertiary

institutions directly under the MOE make up almost half the total number of total tertiary

institutions, but only 19% of enrolment. 27% of institutions are also public COEs. Applications

far exceed admissions, especially for public universities, where only 40% of applicants gain

admission. Female admissions and applications are much lower compared to males. In

2014/15, 25% of females and 29% of males who applied were admitted to public universities; in

2014/15, 37% of public university applicants were female and the corresponding figure for

polytechnics was 35%. There are also wide income and regional disparities in completion at the

tertiary level: the parity index for completion rates at the tertiary level between those from the

poorest and richest income quintiles is just 0.06. Looking forward, the tertiary sub-sector will

face increased demand as a result of free SHS, which will open access to secondary education

and give students the opportunity to access tertiary, and so preparations must be made to

accommodate this.

Current course offerings across universities are often not sufficiently diversified and concerns

have also been raised about the relevance of many of the courses to the demands of the job

market; this situation has been partly blamed for the high graduate unemployment in the

country. Furthermore, there are often inadequate facilities to accommodate students with

disabilities. Financial aid and general affirmative action programmes in the admission of

students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and less endowed SHS have been instituted by

some institutions but these policies are internal to each tertiary institution and hence are not

currently standardised.

In terms of quality, PTRs are much higher than the norms recommended by the NCTE, and less

than 40% of teachers have terminal qualifications, a statistic that varies substantially across

universities. The targeted ratio of enrolment in science subjects to enrolment in arts subjects is

60:40, but at the moment the ratio is 40:60 and this has remained stagnant for a number of

years. Most laboratories and lecture halls are ill-equipped, having less than 50% of the required

materials, and institutions have less than 50% of their ICT requirements. In terms of levels of

enrolment, in 2015/16, less than 0.5% of enrolment was at PhD level and only 5% was at the

master’s degree level. Another determinant of quality at the tertiary level is the output of quality

research: there are less than 0.5 publications per lecturer per year. Only one Ghanaian

university is ranked among the top 25 universities in Africa.

Specific to teacher education, it has been noted that pre-service teacher training is too content-

heavy, with low entry requirements and not enough practice in pedagogy. Additionally, all


55

students follow the same curriculum, regardless of the level at which they are to teach, from KG

to JHS, and there is a lack of content knowledge specific to that level.

Given that most tertiary institutions are self-regulated, the NCTE and the NAB have limited

capacity and legal authority, which constrains their efforts to serve as supervisory entities. Data

for tertiary institutions are usually collected at the end of the academic year, making it difficult to

effectively impact decision-making within the year.

In terms of funding, GoG typically provides between 50% and 55% of the total financial

resources to the sub-sector, the vast majority of which goes on staff salaries. Internally

generated funds are the second largest source of funding for the tertiary sub-sector and

GETFund typically provides 8–10% of the sub-sector’s funding. However, in spite of these

funding sources, there have been substantial gaps: in the 2016 academic year, there was a

funding gap of 45%. The Student Loan Trust Fund has been beneficial in increasing access for

financially disadvantaged groups; however, it faces funding challenges in financing loans for all

students. The establishment of new institutions, upgrading of other institutions to tertiary status,

and absorption of private institutions into the public sector by government will put further stress

on funding of the tertiary sub-sector.

To address the access and equity challenges in the tertiary sub-sector a number of initiatives

are in place but these strategies are specific to each institution and are not currently coordinated

or standardised. Some institutions, especially the older public universities, have financial aid

and affirmative action programmes for the admission of female students and those from low

socioeconomic backgrounds. Although loan amounts to students are inadequate, an increasing

number of needy students are accessing the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), which is

complemented by financial aid provided by some of the institutions. Additionally, there are

strategies to provide students with disabilities with wheelchair access to buildings, braille

facilities, and assistive ICT laboratories. Furthermore, many institutions have a ‘mature students’

entry track for enrolling individuals above the age of 25 years who pass an entry examination,

and, finally, there are a number of distance learning programmes on offer. Furthermore, GoG

has recently established three universities in regions which hitherto had no public university, to

increase access in under-served areas, with an emphasis on STEM subjects. In 2016,

Parliament passed the Technical Universities Act to convert eight polytechnics into technical

universities, to enhance the public perception of technical education, raise the image of

graduates, and provide a clear path of academic progression for them.

In order to strengthen the capacity of universities in Africa to deliver high-quality training and

applied research, in 2014 the World Bank and west African governments launched a Centres of

Excellence project. Plans are also far advanced to upgrade the COEs into University COEs and

to improve the quality of training at these institutions by upgrading the qualification they offer to

a bachelor’s degree. The Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) programme

aims to support improved governance, management, and pedagogical direction in all 46 public

COEs. T-TEL supports a college-based tutor professional development programme, with

appropriate TLMs, which are also available online.

The ToC for the tertiary sub-sector is based on improving equity and quality in tertiary provision

and having a more responsive and relevant tertiary sub-sector. This will include strengthening


56

quality assurance in provision across public and private institutions. Improving the skills and

experience of tertiary staff and increasing research opportunities and postgraduate training will

strengthen the quality outcomes at this level. Strengthening the STEM provision for enrolment

on these courses should increase in line with the skills required in Ghana. Upgrading COEs to

University COEs and enabling them to offer an updated teacher education curriculum and a

degree programme will strengthen the outcomes of the tertiary sub-sector by producing

teachers with the relevant skills and knowledge, including classroom-based experience, in order

to transform education outcomes in Ghana in the future. The ToC for this sub-sector is based on

the assumptions that access to the tertiary sub-sector can expand without further increasing the

current inequity level, through such strategies as collaboration with the private sector, increasing

enrolments in open and distance learning and the creative use of new technologies, and that

GoG/the MOE will put the planned tertiary reforms into practice and report progress regularly to

Cabinet.

The ESP strategies for tertiary education build on current initiatives and will focus on improving

equity, with affirmative action taken to address gender and wealth inequities and to improve

access for students with disabilities. A review of the financing of tertiary education will be

implemented to consider how to address the high level of inequity. Enrolment will be expanded

through a more creative approach to open and distance learning at tertiary levels. An enhanced

STEM offer will be a focus at the tertiary level, with greater support for STEM programmes and

by equipping tertiary institutions with modern science laboratories and scientific equipment.

Quality will also be enhanced by ensuring teaching staff at all tertiary institutions have

specialised training in appropriate pedagogies as well as enabling university staff to gain

practical experience in relevant areas of industry. Academic staff will also be supported to carry

out research on national priority issues and to increase the number of their publications, through

the agency of a National Research Fund. For the teacher training institutions, there will be a

focus on implementing the comprehensive roadmap for teacher education reform to improve the

initial teacher education offer in Ghana. This is one of the key reform agenda pillars, as is

improving the governance of the tertiary sub-sector through clearer mandates.

Achievement of the expected outcomes of the tertiary education sub-sector will be measured by

the following KPIs (disaggregated by sex, location, wealth, and disability, when possible):

tertiary GER;

enrolment in sciences to enrolment in humanities ratio, including TVET;

female enrolment as a percentage of total enrolment (%);

number of publications per academic staff per annum; and

% of newly qualified teachers meeting National Teaching Standards (NTS) for licensing.


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ToC for tertiary education


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3.6.1 Tertiary education: from policy objectives to strategies

SUB-POLICY OBJECTIVE MAIN PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS STRATEGIES


TE 1.1: Increased numbers of admission places available to meet all needs

High demand for tertiary education, with only 40% of applicants finding admission places

Infrastructure deficits in public tertiary

education institutions

Low enrolment in private tertiary institutions

Insufficient diversification and differentiation in tertiary institutions and course offerings

TE 1.1.1 Assess the manpower needs and priorities of the country

TE 1.1.2: Expand and upgrade facilities in public tertiary institutions and ensure that all facilities are disability-friendly, and establish new institutions, with sufficient differentiation and diversification

TE 1.1.3: Adopt policies that foster expansion of private participation in tertiary education delivery

TE 1.1.4: Establish an Open University to provide dedicated open and distance learning programmes and promote open education resources

TE 1.2: Increased participation by women, the disabled, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in tertiary education

Gender disparity ratio of 0.69 in favour of males, instead of a GPI of 1

Low participation by disabled and socioeconomically disadvantaged students

TE 1.2.1: Institute national policy guidelines for affirmative action in admission and funding assistance for disadvantaged groups

TE 1.2.2 Encourage tertiary education institutions (TEIs) to adopt and nurture SHS and TVIs in poor communities


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TE 2.1: Improved quality of teaching and learning resources

Most laboratories and lecture halls are poorly-equipped, having less than 50% of what is required

Institutions have in place less than 50% of their ICT requirements

Less than 40% of lecturers in tertiary institutions have terminal qualifications

Majority of teaching staff do not have a teaching qualification

Poor quality assurance practices in TEIs

TE 2.1.1: Upgrade teaching and learning facilities in public TEIs, including ICT

TE 2.1.2: Support the capacity building of staff

TE 2.1.3: Promote quality assurance practices

TE 2.2: Strengthened STEM and TVET education at the tertiary level

Participation in STEM education was 33% of total enrolments in 2016 and is not meeting the 60:40 science to humanities ratio set by the NCTE

Inadequate facilities for STEM education

Weak links between tertiary education and industry

Limited avenues for TVET graduates to acquire higher-level skills

TE 2.2.1: Provide adequate quality resources for STEM education in tertiary institutions

TE 2.2.2: Forge links with industry to enhance teaching and learning

TE 2.2.3: Strengthen Technical Universities as apex TVET institutions

TE 2.3: Improved research and postgraduate training

Poor funding of research, with no institutional research grants

Inadequate coherent national research policy

Low output of quality research, less than 0.5 publications per lecturer per year

Low international ranking of Ghana’s tertiary institutions, with only one ranked among the top 25 in Africa and in the 801–1000 band in the 2017 Times Higher Education world ranking

Low level of doctoral training in tertiary institutions; PhD students constitute 1% of total enrolments

TE 2.3.1: Determine national priority research areas and provide adequate and sustained funding for research infrastructure, human resources for research, and research activities


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TE 2.4: Strengthened quality of teacher education

Limited capacity for efficient and effective management of COEs

Poor coherence/correlation between teacher education curricula and school curricula

Ineffectiveness of the diploma programmes in COEs in responding to the country’s needs

Ineffective quality assurance system across the teacher education sector

Weak teacher education curricula

Ineffective assessment systems in the teacher education system

TE 2.4.1: Upgrade management systems of COEs

TE 2.4.2: Implement National Teachers Standards and National Teacher Education Curriculum framework

TE 2.4.3: Convert COEs to University COEs and transform the diploma into a four-year degree programme derived from the National Teachers Standards and curriculum framework

TE 2.5 Improved job placement

High levels of graduate unemployment

Ineffective industrial attachment of universities

TE 2.5.1 Improve counselling and job placement support


TE 3.1: Harmonised policy and legislative framework and strengthened capacities for effective supervision and regulation of the tertiary education sub-sector

Weak legal authority of NCTE and NAB

Perceived ambiguity regarding roles of NCTE and NAB

Weak capacity of NCTE and NAB to perform effectively and efficiently

TE 3.1.1: Develop a comprehensive tertiary education policy and strengthen the legal mandates and collaboration of NCTE and NAB

TE 3.1.2: Strengthen capacities within regulatory bodies for improved performance

TE 3.2: Strengthened governance and management of tertiary institutions

Low capacity and inadequate expertise of governing bodies of tertiary institutions

Inadequate capacity for efficient and effective management of TEIs

Role conflict in private institutions, when chairman of the board may also be president of the institution

Weak academic boards/organs of private tertiary institutions, not reflecting academic character of institutions

Appointment of governing councils not based on clear criteria

TE 3.2.1: Strengthen capacity and expertise of leadership of tertiary institutions

TE 3.3: Improved and sustained funding of tertiary education

Funding gap of 45% in 2016

Inadequate infrastructure in public TEIs

Inadequate teaching and learning resources

TE 3.3.1: Establish a sustainable funding policy


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Inadequate loan amounts for qualified students

TE 3.4: Improved data collection and management

Gaps in data

Inefficiencies in collection of data

Reluctance by tertiary institutions to complete NCTE data collection instruments

Ineffective M&E

Absence of an efficient data management system connecting all tertiary institutions to NCTE and the NAB

Absence of well-developed and functional tertiary education management information system

TE 3.4.1: Strengthen data collection and analysis systems, and strengthen M&E systems

3.7 Education management – Improved planning and management efficiency in the delivery of education

Educational leadership and management is a critical enabler for the successful implementation

of all strategies and interventions within the identified sub-sectors of education. In the ESP

education management includes responsibility for the planning, organisation, and efficiency of

the system as a whole. As with the other sub-sectors, the policies for education management

that have been prioritised are those that have a positive impact on learning outcomes,

accountability for learning outcomes, and equity.

In terms of teacher management, absenteeism, attrition, and time-on-task have been widely

recognised as a problem, with overall teacher absenteeism as high as 14% in 2014/15 and

varying considerably by region. The teacher education curriculum is currently considered to be

too content-heavy and lacking in pedagogical skill development. Additionally, the same training

is given to all teachers from KG to JHS, with a lack of content knowledge that is specific to each

level. Teacher deployment is also an area of concern, with large regional disparities in PTRs

and weak correlation between the number of students and teachers within a district.

System accountability has, to date, not functioned effectively due to the three regulatory bodies

(NaCCA, NTC, and NIB) lacking staff capacity, resources, and powers of enforcement. While

the regulatory agencies are responsible for designing and enforcing accountability structures,

the implementation of these structures spans the entire system. This requires human capacity

and accountability mechanisms to be in place and functioning. The system as a whole lacks a

sector-wide accountability framework at different levels of implementation – national and sub-

national – and at a local level there is ample anecdotal evidence of weak supervision

mechanisms. Linked to this is a lack of regular local data collection, collation, and use. In

addition, while the private sector accounts for over 20% of enrolment at the basic level, over

one-third of TVIs, and nearly half of all tertiary institutions, there is little monitoring or regulation

of, or collaboration with, these institutions. The collection of data from the private sector has


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typically been difficult as it does not rely on public funding and therefore appropriate sanctions

cannot be applied when data are not forthcoming. A significantly lower proportion of teachers in

the private sector are trained compared to those in the public sector and little research has been

done on learning outcomes for the private sector.

The internal efficiency of the education system itself is a concern. Considering progression from

primary to SHS, for every 100 children who enter Primary 1, only 38 complete SHS. This is

supported by results showing significantly higher proportions of repeaters in each grade of pre-

tertiary education than was previously thought. In SHS, for example, repetition is above 12% in

every grade. Some of the remedies to address this challenge involve improving the quality of

education and are reflected in other sub-sectors but some pertain to the quality of teaching and

the management of the system, including school-level leadership and management.

A range of initiatives are ongoing to improve education management and leadership. T-TEL is a

programme that aims to improve the quality, delivery, and management of the teacher

education curriculum. This includes the design of a new teacher education curriculum leading to

the conversion of the qualification from a diploma to a degree, with the associated uplift in entry

requirements, as well as converting COEs into University COEs. In a drive towards the

professionalisation of teaching, the PTPDM policy has been developed to define standards and

competencies, and the process for teacher licensing and subsequent promotion. Some

leadership and management training has taken place at the school level, such as through the

SEIP and GPEG projects; however this is yet to be institutionalised in a national programme. A

draft Education Bill is currently being considered before Parliament that would decentralise

basic education management to the district level and so bring decision makers closer to relevant

local information and education service delivery, as well as increasing their proximity to the

impact of their decisions. Finally, various data collection systems are being piloted, such as the

mSRC and District Quality Monitoring System at the basic level, while at secondary level a

student information system linked to free SHS is to be rolled out shortly. There is also an

ongoing project to support the strengthening of the national EMIS system to make the data

more comprehensive, digital, and accessible. This will introduce new indicators, as well as

upgrading the platform to make the data themselves, and simple report generation, more

accessible and user friendly. In the medium term, there are plans to link EMIS with the tertiary

and TVET sub-sectors by incorporating their data, and in the longer term, there is an ambition to

link other datasets, such as student performance and human resources, so that EMIS can better

serve as the primary data source for the education sector.

The ToC for education management relies on the promotion of using evidence in policymaking

and planning at the national level. At the local level, decision makers must also be empowered

to use evidence to improve the quality of teaching and learning, as well as to improve the

efficiency of the local education delivery. This should happen as a consequence of

decentralisation, which is part of the reform agenda, as well as improved capacity in leadership

and management at the school level. An improved accountability system will serve as a crucial

counterbalance to the increased decision-making power at the local level. There are various

elements of the ToC which are linked to each other: for instance, improving the efficiency of

teacher deployment and ensuring the allocation is equitable is not possible without a system


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that is based on local-level enrolment data, in order to match PTRs and resources appropriately.

More broadly, improved education management will require system changes, which can take

time to implement but when done correctly will pay dividends for the sector. In general, when

working properly, the education management sub-sector should ensure the smooth delivery of

quality education in all other sub-sectors.

There are many aspects of the education management priorities which play a central role in

GoG’s reform agenda, which has 12 pillars, spanning the full range of the education system.

The teacher education reform pillar is being supported by T-TEL and is linked with the

development of the basic education curriculum to ensure that teachers are being appropriately

trained to teach at specific levels (KG, primary, and JHS) to deliver the new curriculum. The

professionalisation of teachers is another high-level priority, which builds on the work of the

PTPDM policy to properly register, license, and set standards for all teachers in Ghana.

Teachers will be issued with a provisional licence, which will be upgraded to a full licence when

they have successfully passed teaching competencies at assessment points, such as applying

for promotion. These reforms to teacher education and management are anticipated to have a

direct impact on learning outcomes but must be supported by background changes that will

make the system operate more efficiently. These include a review of GES human resources and

the roll out of a system to ensure that teacher deployment is linked to both the characteristics of

the teacher, in terms of their qualification level and mother tongue language, as well as to local

school needs based on enrolment numbers. This will require stronger linking between the GES

human resources database and EMIS and the inclusion of more teacher characteristics in the

human resources database. On the supply side, this system will also be linked to the COEs, to

ensure that the pipeline of teachers graduating is appropriate for the needs of the education

system. The deployment and management of teachers for basic education will become a

responsibility of the districts after the decentralisation bill is passed.

At a wider system level, the NIB is leading a reform pillar on improved school supervision and

inspection systems. The development of a sector-wide accountability framework will be closely

linked to this and will ensure that every link in the accountability chain from the MOE to the

school level is transparent, in order to improve accountability for learning outcomes and equity.

There is a renewed focus on improving school leadership and management across the system

and the establishment of a School Management Division within GES will spearhead this work.

As articulated in the sections on basic education and SHS, a public–private partnership project

will be started on a small scale, whereby GoG will partner with non-state organisations working

on a not-for-profit basis to improve learning outcomes in under-performing schools through

different management strategies and teaching and learning techniques. It will then be possible

for the lessons and successful practices from this pilot to be incorporated and disseminated

throughout the public education system to support other under-performing schools to improve.

Finally, strengthening data collection and management systems is a key enabling priority in

order to improve accountability for learning outcomes. This means continuing the ongoing work

to improve the national EMIS as well as harmonising the collection, storage, and analysis of

other data sources, as well as ensuring that the local capacity to collect and use data in

decision-making is improved.


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KPIs (disaggregated by sex, location, wealth, and disability, when possible) for the education

management sub-sector are as follows:

rate of teacher absenteeism;

proportion of teachers having undergone NTC-approved in-service training/continuous

professional development (CPD);

proportion of districts with appropriate PTR for assessed need;

proportion of districts with Annual District Education Operational Plan (ADEOPs) at the

beginning of the school year;

% of MMDAs that are fully decentralised, with fiscal responsibility, as set out in the GES

decentralisation bill; and

% of private schools registered.


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ToC for education management


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3.7.1 Education management: from policy objectives to strategies




EM 3.1: Improved mechanisms for efficient teacher management

High levels of teacher absenteeism and weak teacher time-on-task at pre-tertiary level, especially at the public primary school level, negatively affect learning achievement

Teacher career progression is not based on competencies and standards

Poor distribution of teachers and teacher rationalisation

Absence of real-time data on teacher distribution

Inadequate career opportunities and appropriate housing for teachers in rural areas

Inadequate regular continuous professional development of teaching staff, and use of outdated pedagogy in classroom transactions

Mismatch between the subject in which the teacher is trained and what they teach

EM 3.1.1 Strengthen school inspection and supervision practices under the leadership of NIB

EM 3.1.2: Implement the PTPDM policy, with its associated continuous professional development and career progression

EM 3.1.3: Strengthen teacher recruitment and deployment, including by implementing a human resources policy

EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of MOE and its agencies and institutions, and MMDAs

MOE/GES lacks a framework for carrying out systematic research to govern policies

Poor coordination among agencies of the MOE and other ministries

Systemic implementation challenges resulting from inadequate capacity of actors, resource mobilisation, and insufficient community involvement

EM 3.2.1: Coordinate and promote evidence, evaluation, and research to strengthen policymaking and strengthen the research unit within the MOE

EM 3.2.2: Develop staff capacity to use evidence and mechanisms for strengthening coordination among agencies and units of the MOE


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EM 3.3: Improved financial management and equity in resource allocation

Inadequate, inequitable, and inefficient school financing, and over-dependence on donor resourcing for non-salary expenditure, especially at the basic education level

Inadequate GoG expenditure on goods and services, as compensation takes more than 90% of total expenditure

Inability of the districts, units, and institutions to mobilise (and manage) resources efficiently at all levels

Inadequate financial commitment by GoG on donor-supported projects can lead to poor sustainability

EM 3.3.1: Strengthen transparency in the allocation and management of funds from the national to the school level

EM 3.3.2: Improve equity in resource allocations to schools and agencies

EM 3.3.3: Encourage national, regional, district, and institutional units to mobilise funds domestically to support basic education

EM 3.4: Strengthened sector-wide approach to coordinate NGOs, CSOs, and donor partners’ support to ensure smooth implementation of the ESP

Inadequate sector-wide approach of donor agencies, CSOs, and NGOs in their activities

EM 3.4.1: Improve coordination and accountability for donor and CSOs’/NGOs’ support of ESP

EM 3.5: Strengthened operational structures of MOE/agencies for effective oversight and implementation of decentralisation

Regulatory agencies such as NCTE, NAB, NaCCA, NIB, NTC, and other units, and NFED and GES, remain inadequately resourced and thereby negatively affect their effectiveness

The acts of regulatory bodies do not enable the sanctioning of offenders

Lack of clarity over decentralisation process, resulting in confusion over roles of MMDAs, schools, and officials

EM 3.5.1: Review the operating acts of the various regulatory bodies and resource them in order to strengthen them to support decentralisation

EM 3.5.2: Implement the education decentralisation policy


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EM 3.6: Strengthened education service delivery through collaboration with non-state actors

Poor learning outcomes of public schools, especially at basic level, as evidenced by EGRA and EGMA performance and poor BECE results

Inadequate information on private sector schools (scale and learning outcomes)

High proportion of untrained teachers in private schools

EM 3.6.1: Develop and strengthen engagement of non-state actors in the provision and management of education at local and school levels

EM 3.7: Improved ICT use in education at all levels

Inadequate ICT infrastructure in schools and poor quality of service

Limited ICT in schools and uneven distribution of facilities

Limited and costly bandwidth

Poor funding of ICT

EM 3.7.1: Strengthen ICT in education policy

EM 3.7.2: Improve ICT resources and infrastructure in educational institutions

EM 3.8 Strengthened data systems and accountability throughout the education system to support the implementation of the reform agenda

Weak accountability rules and practices

High levels of teacher absenteeism and weak teacher time-on-task at pre-tertiary level, especially at the public primary school level, negatively affects learning achievement

Limited effective accountability mechanisms available to hold private schools to account for quality of education

Limited capacity to design and implement policy reforms in a coordinated manner

The paper-based SRC is time-consuming and does not provide real-time data for schools

Inaccurate and unreliable EMIS data

EM 3.8.1: Design, implement, and enforce an education accountability framework along the chain of education service delivery, from the MOE to the school level

EM 3.8.2: Strengthen M&E units and processes throughout the education system to improve the EMIS

EM 3.8.3: Establish and operationalise a reform secretariat to drive policy reform and associated delivery units to oversee implementation of reforms


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4 ESP projected resources and costs

This chapter looks at the projected resources that will be provided to implement the ESP from

2018 to 2030, as well as the costs of implementation. A costs model was developed which

incorporates the projected number of pupils and students, the input costs of teaching and

learning, and the costs of the policy priorities in the ESP in an estimation of costs for the

education sector to 2030. This is then compared to the expected resources for the education

sector over that same time period.

First, the chapter shows the projected resources provided to the education sector as outlined in

the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework 2018–2021, presented to Parliament in November

2017. The budget allocations for these four years are projected to 2030 for input into the model.

The second section of the chapter shows the education sector cost projections. First, the costs

of the education sector as it currently stands are projected from 2018 to 2030. This ‘status quo’

projection includes the costs of reforms and new policies that have already been implemented

to date, such as free SHS, refurbishment of basic education schools, and increased capitation

grants. Next, the additional costs of reforms and policies in the ESP are presented for the

medium term (aligned with the ESMTDP 2018–2021). These are projected to 2030 and added

to the ‘status quo’ costs. In addition, the cost projections incorporate a number of efficiency

savings introduced to improve the financial sustainability of the plan.

4.1 Education sector projected resources 2018–2021

This section of the chapter shows the projected resources to be provided to the education

sector as outlined in the Budget Vote for the 2018 budget presented to Parliament on 15

November 2017 (Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) 2017). The Budget Vote

gives a medium-term budget framework for 2018 to 2021, with projections for GDP, the national

government revenue, and the resource estimates for the education sector for these four years.

These 2018 to 2021 resource estimates are projected to 2030 for input into the model.

MOFEP reported in the 2018 budget that the economic outlook for Ghana had improved in the

2017 budget year, with real GDP growing at 7.8%, compared to the average growth between

2014 and 2016 of 3.9%. Inflation dropped 4.2 percentage points to 11.6%. The outlook for the

next four years is positive, with a target GDP growth rate for 2018 of 6.8% in real terms and an

average inflation rate of 7%. GDP is projected to grow in real terms by 7.3% in 2019 and to level

off slightly in 2020 and 2021, to 5.6% and 6.3% respectively.

Table 3 below shows the projected GDP and the medium-term total government budget, as well

as that for education between 2018 and 2021.

Government revenue is projected to be 25% of GDP across the four years, with the resource

estimates for the education sector being 4.7% of GDP in 2018, dropping slightly to 4.5% in

2021. Education resources are projected to be 24.5% of government revenue (excluding debt

service), dropping to 23.9% by 2021.


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Table 3: Projected GDP, central government revenue, and education sector envelope

2018–2021 (GHC, billions)

2018 2019 2020 2021

GDP (nominal) 241.718 281.794 324.160 372.115

GDP non-oil (nominal) 229.559 265.641 306.930 354.681

Real GDP growth 6.8% 7.3% 5.6% 6.3%

Non-oil real GDP growth 5.4% 5.9% 6.0% 6.1%

Government revenue 61.152 70.815 79.572 87.336

Debt service 14.910 16.308 15.939 16.432

Government budget revenue (excluding debt service)

46.242 54.507 63.633 70.904

Government budget as % of GDP 25.0% 25.0% 25.0% 24.0%

Total MoE Resource Envelope (nominal) Education budget allocation, IGF, GETFund, ABFA, allocation to free SHS and donor funds

11.322

12.945

15.212

16.930

Of which: GETFund* 925 1 239 1 921 2 253

Of which: ABFA* 0.010 0.010 0.564 0.620

Education resources as a % of total GDP (including GETFund and ABFA)

4.7% 4.6% 4.7% 4.5%

Education resources as % of government revenue (excluding debt service)

24.5% 23.7% 23.9% 23.9%

* The GETFund (from VAT) and ABFA (from oil revenue) are earmarked funds for education. They are not under the Education Vote in the budget documents but are under the general administrations transfers to government ministries.

Source: MOFEP 2017.

The education resource allocation is composed of three sources: the government allocation

(including the GETFund and ABFA); internally generated funds (IGF), which are predominantly

fees and levies from tertiary students; and funds raised from external sources, including donor

contributions and other loans.

The table below shows the total resource allocation for education:

the government allocation only – with and without salary arrears;

the IGF resources;

funds from donors;

funds earmarked for free SHS;

GETFund;


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ABFA;

funds from other government department allocated to education or received by schools –

these are from the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection for school feeding and the

District Common Fund; and

the funds raised from external sources or commercial loans.

In 2018 the total Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget allocation to education

was GHC 9.259 billion. This increases in nominal terms by 7% in 2019, 9% in 2020, and 11% in

2021. When adjusted for expected inflation, this constitutes approximately a 2% decrease in

real terms in 2019 but a real increase of 2% and then 4% in 2020 and 2021

The total resource envelope to education including all additional sources of income is GHC

12.295 billion in 2018, GHC 13.935 billion in 2019, GHC 16.234 billion in 2020 and GHC 17.723

billion in 2021. This is an average annual growth rate of 13% in nominal terms between 2018

and 2021 and an average annual growth rate of 4.3% in real terms.

Table 4: Education sector total discretionary resource envelope from all sources 2018–2021 (GHC billions, nominal)

2018 2019 2020 2021

Total budget allocation to Education (excluding GETFund and ABFA)

9.259 9.925 10.867 12.104

Government allocation 7.306 8.125 9.223 9.500

Of which: salary arrears* 0.650

Excluding salary arrears 6.656 9.925 10.867 12.104

Internally generated funds** 1.638 1.508 1.396 2.460

Donors 0.326 0.292 0.248 0.144

Other sources of funding

Free Senior High School *** 1.138 1.771 1.860 1.953

GETFund 0.925 1.239 1.921 2.253

ABFA 0.01 0.01 0.564 0.620

Other government departments’ allocations to education

0.591 0.618 0.651 0.631

Funds raised from external sources and loans

0.372 0.372 0.372 0.162

Total resources 12.295 13.935 16.234 17.723

* Salary arrears are in the final year of being phased out from the single spine adjustment.

** Internally generated funds for SHS are completely phased out in the 2019/2020 academic year.

*** The budget for free SHS was previously under the office of the President’s budget but has been moved under the Ministry of Education budget and therefore included as source of funding

Source: MOFEP 2017.


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4.2 Cost projections

Two cost projections are presented in this section. The costs of the education sector as it was

prior to this ESP are projected from 2018 to 2030. This ‘status quo’ projection includes the

projected costs of only those reforms and new policies that were already being implemented

(such as some of the costs of free SHS, additional textbooks and refurbishment of KG and

primary school blocks). The second cost projection including all the costed reforms and policies

from the ESP are presented for the next four years, as aligned with the ESMDTP. These costs

are projected to 2030 and added to the ‘status quo’ costs. In addition, this cost projection

incorporates a number of efficiency savings introduced to improve the financial sustainability of

the plan.

In order to review the financial sustainability of the ESP, the costs which incorporate the policy

priorities are compared to the resource estimates for education. Two scenarios are examined:

the first assumes that resources provided to education after the MTEF budget period (from

2022) increase by 1% per annum in real terms and the second assumes that the resources

available are 1 percentage point higher over the MTEF budget period AND increase by 2% per

annum from 2022. These percentage growth rates have been identified based on historical

trends in expenditure between 2013 and 2016, which saw a growth in real terms of between 1%

and 2%.

4.2.1 Costs of the status quo and the estimated revenue for the education sector to 2030

The purpose of the status quo model is to ascertain the costs of the education system with no

changes to either the current cost structure or implementation of efficiency savings. There are a

number of assumptions that have had to be made in generating the projected costs. The most

important of these are as follows:

The status quo projection bases the sector costs on the learner projection in the Cost and

Finance Thematic Paper (Perry et al., 2018) but does not assume any efficiency savings in

relation to the number of learners repeating.

The current PTRs are retained.

There are a number of new initiatives implemented prior to 2018, such as the increased

capitation grant, base grants to schools, some of the costs of free SHS, and increased TLMs

and textbooks, that are included in the status quo cost projections. These costs have

already been budgeted and transferred to schools for the 2018 budget year and are ongoing

commitments.

Capital projects, such as refurbishment of dilapidated buildings, new KG blocks, and

canteens for SHS are included in the status quo projection as implementation began prior to

2018.

No new classrooms in primary, JHS, or SHS are costed in the status quo projection.

Secondary and tertiary education sub-sector cost projections do not include the costs of

TVET institutions that will move from other ministries to the MOE. There would need to be a


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far more comprehensive analysis of the costs for each institution being transferred for this to

be meaningful.

The TVET sub-sector enrolment is assumed to grow at 6% per annum.

The tertiary education sub-sector enrolment is assumed to continue to grow at its current

rate of 5% per annum for the next five years as the cohort of SHS students exiting to tertiary

education increases. It is unlikely that this rate of growth will be sustained in the longer term

and the projections assume that there will be a gradual tapering off to 3% growth from 2023

to 2030.

The following figure (Figure 3) shows each sub-sector’s cost projections in the status quo

model. The fastest growing sector is the SHS sector. As free SHS is phased in the need to

replace the internally generated funds, which constituted 45% of SHS resources, increases the

costs of SHS, which move from GHC 1.6 billion in 2018 to GHC 2.9 billion in 2030 in this status

quo projection.

Figure 3: Cost of the status quo by sub-sector (GHC millions)

Note: Tertiary costs are government expenditure only. They do not include IGF, which in 2016 accounted for nearly over 50% of tertiary expenditure.

Source: Perry et al. (2018)/Ghana ESP Cost Projection Model (2019)

The following figure (Figure 4) shows the projected costs of the status quo model for the whole

education sector, as well as the projected resources provided to the education sector. Since this

is the status quo, resources do not include income raised specifically for the ESP. The

resources shown here only include income from government, the GETFund, ABFA, and half the

revenue expected from donors. The funding gap is shown as the difference between the costs

and projected resources, and as a percentage of costs. In 2018 the gap is 0.4% but increases


74

rapidly to 9% and 12% in 2019 and 2021, respectively. By 2030 the gap between costs and

projected resources is 17%; this equates to GHC 2.175 billion.

Figure 4: Revenue, cost, and funding gap of the status quo model (GHC millions)

Note: Resources include government, donors, and GETFund, but excludes salary arrears and internally generated funds, which are primarily from student fees and levies.


4.2.2 Costs of interventions to support reform priorities and enabling policies

This section shows the costs of the education sector – including the costs of the interventions

outlined in the ESP and a number of the supporting policies that have significant cost

implications.

The following tables show the first four years of policy costs for each sub-sector (in line with the

ESMDTP) identified as necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the ESP. Many of these

costs are ongoing and where this is the case the projections include these further costs.

In the basic education sub-sector, increased access is facilitated by programmes for

disadvantaged pupils, such as the School Feeding Programme, which supports 30% of learners

in basic schools, and supplies of uniforms and sandals. Quality improvement is to be effected

through increased supplies of TLMs and textbooks. Alongside this are substantial initiatives to

reform the basic school curriculum, which is due to be implemented from the 2018/19 school

year. Training of teachers and management at district, inspectorate, and school levels is in line

with these efforts to improve the quality of basic education.


75

Capital infrastructure in this sector will be improved under the project to renovate dilapidated

buildings and to build KG blocks on existing primary school properties. The costs of addressing

classroom shortages and backlogs are spread over the first 10 years but run concurrently with

efforts to ensure that additional classrooms are in place for growth in learner numbers.

Table 5: Policy costs for basic education

Basic education (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021



973.9 1033.0 1041.4 1060.7

BE 1.2: Achieved and sustained gender parity in access to quality basic education, with a focus on reducing regional disparities

6.00 6.15 6.15 6.15


BE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs in basic education 162.42 565.78 468.99 472.3

BE 2.2: Improve learning assessment to support learning achievement of basic school pupils

3 3 0.5

BE 2.3: Improved learning environments, including health and sanitation, child protection, and guidance and counselling, in basic schools

11.3 10.4 10.4 10.4

BE 2.4: Improved quality and relevance of basic education curriculum

55.4 33.5 98.3 46.1

BE 2.5: Enhanced instructional practices of basic education teachers and head teachers

3.45 28.45 28.45 28.45

BE 2.6: Improved STEM education quality and relevance of teaching and learning at the basic school level

19.2 30.45 32.7 37.2


BE 3.2: Strengthened financial management, coordination, and accountability in basic education

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5


1.2

Total 1234.4 1712.7 1690.9 1663.4

Source: ESMTDP 2018–2030

The roll-out of free SHS has a number of cost considerations attached to increasing equity in

both the access to SHS and improved quality of schools in disadvantaged areas. The

implementation of free SHS has meant the phasing out of fees and levies for students, as well

as offering subsidies to day students who incur costs of transport or private boarding. The

upgrading of 42 SHS day schools to model SHS is intended to increase access, with more

students attending day SHS instead of incurring the costs of boarding.


76

Currently, the ratio of boarding to day students is 57:43, it is assumed that the ratio will shift to

40:60 by 2030, through the provision of SHS classrooms in under-served areas. Further funding

strategies will be sought for this development.

Provision is made for the building of regional STEM centres and curriculum revision is planned

to start post 2022.

Table 6: Policy costs for secondary education

Secondary education (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021


SE 1.1: Policy to ensure public SHS is free for all Ghanaian children is implemented

1290.2 1577.2 1936.6 1993.4

SE 1.2: Improved access for disadvantaged groups 0.0 7.2 6.8 6.8


SE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs and equipment in SHS 87.0 89.2 97.4 102.9

SE 2.2: Improved learning outcomes for all, especially girls in all subjects, and for all in STEM subjects

57.3 57.6 57.9 58.2

SE 2.3: Improved quality and relevance of SHS curriculum and enhanced delivery of curriculum and assessment framework7.

12.0 8.3 10.1 36.7


SE 3.1: Strengthened supervision, management, and accountability in SHS

0.4 0.8


0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Total

1447.0

1740.3

2108.8

2198.1


The TVET sub-sector has a number of policy initiatives over the next four years, including a

substantial number of new capital projects, including retooling and refurbishing existing facilities

and building 20 model TVET institutions over the next 10 years.

The projected costs for this sub-sector include a few initiatives which are tertiary-level costs,

such as the addition of teacher training at technical universities and the tertiary pro rata of the

establishment of the skills development fund. However, due to the difficulty of pro rating the

costs, these are costed under the TVET sector, which normally only covers the senior high level

costs.

7 NOTE: Roll-out to begin in 2022, with GHC 101 million to be spent between 2022 and 2025


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Included in this cost framework are a number of the ongoing costs of staffing and running the

new institutions, as well as the costs of TLMs.

Table 7: Policy costs for TVET

TVET (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021



100.2 300.1 353.0 406.2

TVET 1.2: Increased enrolment of all categories of learners, including females, PWD, and disadvantaged groups

1.0 4.2 4.1 4.1

TVET 1.3: Improved public perception and attractiveness of TVET through rebranding and popularisation

6.2 5.3 5.3 4.2


TVET 2.1: Improved quality of TVET provision 2.0 55.2 2.9


2.6 9.6 4.0 0.0


TVET 3.1: A strong legal, governance, and regulatory framework for greater coherence and accountability of the TVET system

2.85 5.13 2.00 2.00

TVET 3.2: Adequate and sustainable financing and accountability of TVET delivery

42.6 42.6 42.6 42.6

Total 156 367.9 461.1 453.7


The two key areas of expansion for NFE are the building of 30 community centres and an

increase in the TLMs available. Some new training initiatives will be offered, in the areas of

occupational and vocational literacy, to improve productivity.


78

Table 8: Policy costs for NFE

NFE (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021


NFE 1.1 Increase enrolment in NFE programmes 0.08 3.81 3.525 3.5

NFE 1.2 Increase awareness of NFE programmes 0.48 0.59 0.44


NFE 2.1 Improved quality of programme delivery, including curriculum, TLMs, assessment, and progression

0.485 0.8 1.075 0.775

Policy objective 3: Sustainable and efficient management, financing, and accountability of education service delivery

NFE 3.1 Coherent legal and institutional framework that allow NFE to respond to NFE demand provided

0.515 0.35 0.24

3.2 Adequate and sustainable financing and allocation resources to all NFE operations

0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

3.3 Accountability and quality assurance mechanism of NFE programmes delivery strengthened

0.3 0.3 0.15 0.15

Total 1.6 6.2 6.2 5.4


Inclusive and special education will see an increase in the feeding grant, as well as an increase

in the capitation grant. Initiatives by the NTC to integrate teaching methods that are more suited

to this sub-sector, such as multi-grade teaching and peer to peer support, as well as increasing

the supply of relevant TLMs, are included in the costs.

Efforts to create suitable environments for learners with SEN to integrate effectively into schools

are also costed. The amount costed for capital development is relatively small and given the

needs of this sector it seems that further investigations should be made into how to speed up

the provision of specialised schools for children with SEN.


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Table 9: Policy costs for inclusive and special education

Inclusive and special education (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021



13.9 19.0 18.9 19.4

ISE 1.2: Safer, more friendly, and inclusive environment for learners with SEN created

0.0 1.3 1.9 0.1

ISE 1.3: Strengthened systems for the early detection of learners with SEN

0.3 0.5 0.5 0.1


11.5 12.0 12.7 13.3


ISE 2.1: National curricula content, assessment processes, and benchmarks reviewed, revised or adapted, and teachers trained to deliver curriculum effectively

6.4 1.2 1.3 1.3

ISE 2.3: Educational personnel, administrators, parents, and community oriented and sensitised on inclusion and inclusive practices

0.0 0.1 1.2 0.0



ISE 3.2: Smooth implementation of inclusive education policy

0.08

Total 32.12 34.19 36.41 34.19


The tertiary education sector has a number of strategies to expand admission places, including

expanding the infrastructure of tertiary institutions, increasing the number of appropriately

trained staff, and developing the Open University of Ghana. A large investment is to be made

from 2019 to 2021 in the building of the University of Environment and Sustainable

Development. This will be co-funded by external commercial loans.

Quality improvements, such as restocking libraries, equipping laboratories, and upgrading the IT

infrastructure are planned. As the COEs become part of the tertiary sector a number of

initiatives in this regard are necessary, including legal, curriculum development, and staff

training initiatives. Additionally, increased funding for the Student Loan Trust will improve the

equitable access to and participation in tertiary education for women, disabled and

socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.


80

Table 10: Policy costs for tertiary education

Tertiary education (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021



10.6 163.8 163.5 163.5

TE 1.2: Increased admission and participation by women, the disabled, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in tertiary education

701.4 701.3 701.3 701.3



4.3 13.0 13.0 11.0


0.1 0.3 54.3 54.0

TE 2.3: Improved research and postgraduate training 1.6 0.1


44.9 42.1 42.0 27.1



0.3

TE 3.2: Strengthened governance and management of tertiary institutions

1.3

TE 3.3: Improved and sustained funding of tertiary education

0.3

TE 3.4: Improved data collection and management 0.4

TE 3.5. Improved job placement

Total 763.3 920.7 974.2 956.9


The education management sub-sector includes funding of MOE and GES staff at the national,

regional, and district level. It also includes funding for the various management agencies, as

well as for goods and services provided to the regional and district offices. Under the ESP a

number of initiatives seek to bring about more effective management of resources and training

of national, regional, and district staff. In order to facilitate the most effective deployment of

teachers there are initiatives to address the teacher post provisioning norms. Coordinating the

management of education and collaboration with the non-governmental sector is becoming a

higher priority as alternative strategies for managing and financing education are needed.


81

Table 11: Policy costs for education management

Education management (costs in GHC millions)

2018 2019 2020 2021



25.0 30.5 24.2 10.6

EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of MOE and its agencies and institutions, and MMDAs

1.5 4.2 1.5 1.5


EM 3.4: Strengthened sector-wide approach to coordinate NGOs’, CSOs’, and donor partners’ support to ensure smooth implementation of the ESP

0.378


0.336 0.504


0.21 2.1 2.1 2.1

EM 3.7: Improved ICT use in education at all levels 0.42 11.02

EM 3.8 Strengthen data systems and accountability throughout the education system to support the implementation of the reform agenda

8.9 8.7 7.5 11

Total 36.7 56.5 35.8 25.2


4.2.3 Efficiency savings

There are a number of areas in which improvements in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of

interventions will allow funds to be targeted to the areas of greatest need. Initiatives are planned

to improve teaching time in the classroom and introduce multi-grade teaching where appropriate

and effective. Encouraging demand for and increasing the access to day schools at the SHS

level would also reduce costs.

However, the most significant areas of cost inefficiency relate to the repeater rates and

dropouts, and the deployment of teachers. In the pupil projection, repetition rates have been

reduced and the current PTRs increased. However, the MOE recognises that realising these

targets will involve a significant implementation effort. The following are the specific efficiency

savings projected in the model:

Reducing the under-age children in KG 1 over a three-year period and increasing the

kindergarten PTR to 35:1 over a five-year period.


82

Increasing the primary PTR to 35:1 over five years and reducing the repetition and dropout

rates by one percentage point per year.

Increasing the JHS PTR from its current level of 14:1 to 25:1 by 2025.

Increasing the SHS PTR from its current level of 20:1 to 25:1. However, this does not

actually decrease the total costs of the sector given its rapid growth over the same time

period. The greatest efficiency saving would be from implementing a less expensive model

of schooling with more day student enrolment and less boarding.

4.2.4 Projected costs by education sub-sector

The following graph shows the projected costs from 2018 to 2030 of each education sub-sector,

including the costs of the ESP policy initiatives. The two largest sub-sectors are basic education

(kindergarten, primary and JHS) and SHS. SHS experiences an average annual growth rate of

4.2% in cost. While the cost of the TVET sub-sector grows at an average annual rate of 4.8%,

this is from a much lower base.

The primary education sub-sector sees a large growth in costs to 2022 due to the costs of

renovating schools and classrooms, which is due to be completed in 2022.

JHS costs also decline slightly after 2022 due to the completion of the renovation projects as

well as the implementation of increased pupil teacher ratios.

Tertiary education costs are also affected by capital projects – the most significant of which is

the construction of the University of the Environment and Sustainable Development, which will

be built between 2019 and 2023.


83

Figure 5: Projected costs of education by sub-sector, including ESP policy costs, 2018–2030 (GHC millions)

Note: Tertiary and SHS costs are government expenditure only. They do not include IGF, which in 2016 accounted for nearly 45% of SHS expenditure and over 50% of tertiary expenditure.


The table below gives the projected costs by sub-sector, as well as the sub-sector costs as a

percentage of the total education sector costs. Most sectors maintain their percentage share of

the total costs over the projection period. JHS costs as a percentage of the total decrease from

19% to 15% between 2018 and 2030, and SHS costs are projected to increase from 26% to

32% of the total education costs.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Kindergarten Primary School JHS SHS TVET

Inclusive Educ. Non-Formal Educ. Tertiary Management


84

Table 12: Projected costs of education by sub-sector, including ESP policy priorities, 2018–2030 (costs in GHC millions)

Sub-sector 2018 2019 2020 2021 2025 2030

Kindergarten 670 701 659 654 703 778

% of total 7% 7% 6% 6% 6% 6%

Primary 1 961 2 173 2 211 2 236 2 256 2 509

% of total 21.% 20% 20.% 20% 20% 20%

JHS 1 774 1 908 1 872 1 835 1 681 1 822

% of total 19% 18% 17% 16% 15% 15%

SHS 2 045 2 770 3 157 3 257 3 313 3 960

% of total 26% 26% 28% 29% 30% 32%

TVET 370 606 735 716 522 649

% of total 4% 6% 6% 6% 5% 5%

Inclusive education 56 60 71 71 65 88

% of total 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

NFE 47 54 56 58 70 90

% of total 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Tertiary 2 110 2 475 2 559 2 573 2 454 2 633

% of total 22% 23% 23% 23% 22% 21%

4.2.5 Projected costs and resources provided to education, 2018–2030

This section shows the gap between the projected costs and resources provided to education.

Two scenarios are examined: Scenario 1 assumes that resources provided to education after

the MTEF budget period (from 2022) increase by 1% per annum in real terms. Scenario 2

assumes that the resources available are 1 percentage point higher over the MTEF budget

period and increase by 2% per annum from 2022. These growth rates have been identified

based on historical trends in expenditure between 2013 and 2016, which saw a growth in real

terms of between 1 and 2%.

Figure 6 below shows the total cost of the education sector, including ESP policy priorities. In

Scenario 1 the resources over the MTEF period remain as presented in Table 4 and growth in

the projected resources from 2022 is 1% per annum. The percentage gap between the costs

and the projected resources is 2.5% in 2018, 10.9% in 2019, 11.3% in 2020 and 11.1% in 2021

(as the majority of the ESP policies – especially new capital projects are implemented). The gap

slowly begins to narrow to 7.9% in 2025 but increases again to 13.7% in 2030


85

Source: Perry et al. (2018)/Ghana ESP Cost Projection Model, 2019

Figure 7 below shows the total cost of the education sector, including ESP policy priorities. This

scenario assumes that the resources available are 1 percentage point higher over the MTEF

budget period and increase by 2% per annum from 2022. The percentage gap between the

costs and the projected resources is 2.5% in 2018, 10.1% in 2019, 9.7% in 2020 and 8.6% in

2021. The gap declines to 0.8% in 2025 3% in 2030.

Figure 6: Scenario 1: Projected costs, resources and funding gap, 2018-2030 (GHC millions)

0

2,000

6,000

4,000

8,000

12,000

10,000

14,000

16,000 90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Revenue Costs Gap Gap %


86

Figure 7: Scenario 2: Projected costs, resources and funding gap, 2018-2030 (GHC millions)


4.3 External support for the ESP

Table 13 below provides a summary of the total costs, projected resources, and associated

funding gap of the ESP financing projection for Scenario 1 and 2. Scenario 1 is thought to be

the most realistic, given that it may be premature to speculate that the economic upturn

expected over the next few years will generate additional funds for the education sector.

Scenario 2 is shown for comparison and, as expected, this significantly decreases the funding

gap over time. The ambitious plans of the ESP in the near future keep the gap much higher

before that. It should be noted that to realise these ambitious plans, it is essential that the sector

have greater stability in the timely disbursement of funds: too many capital projects appear to be

stalled due to delays in the GETFund disbursements, and delays in capitation and school grants

will negatively affect the teaching and learning process.

0

2,000

6,000

4,000

8,000

12,000

10,000

14,000

16,000 90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Revenue Costs Gap Gap %


87

Table 13: Projected costs (incl. ESP policy costs) and resources for Scenario 1 and 2

GHC billions 2018 2019 2020 2021 2025 2030

Scenario 1: Resources increase from 2022 by 1% per annum in real terms

Projected resources to education: Scenario 1

9 740.0 10 129.6 10 636.1 11 061.5 11 510.7 12 097.8

Total costs, including reforms,

policies, and efficiency

savings

10 709.3 12 114.9 12 694.4 12 789.5 12 543.1 14 159.6

% funding gap

2.5% 10.9% 11.3% 11.1% 7.2% 13.7%

Scenario 2: Resources at 1 percentage point higher during MTEF period and 2% per annum from 2022

Projected resources

provided to education: Scenario 2

9 740.0 10 227.0 10 840.6 11 382.7 12 320.9 13 603.3

Total costs, including reforms,

policies, and efficiency

savings

10 709.3 12 114.9 12 694.4 12 789.5 12 543.1 14 159.6

% funding gap

2.5% 10.1% 9.7% 8.6% 0.8% 3.0%


As discussed, these projections include significant efficiency savings and the MOE is aware of

the implementation effort required to realise these. Reductions in the repetition rate will be a

function of improvements in the quality of schooling. Increasing the PTR will necessitate clear

management of posts available at schools, a policy on the supply of teachers to small schools, a

policy on the number of subjects offered in JHS and SHS, and strategies for providing education

in sparsely populated areas.

The MOE will aim to raise additional funding for the sector and is actively pursuing various

avenues to do this. There are already potential sources of funding from development partners

which have not yet been finalised or committed but that are in the pipeline. These include the

IDA-18 allocation, along with the associated GPE multiplier fund which Ghana can access. A

detailed resource mobilisation strategy for the period 2018–2021 is provided in the ESMTDP

but, in summary, it covers the following areas:

1. Identifying additional GoG funding. This could include exploring opportunities for

increased allocation to the sector from the ABFA, as well as ensuring that additional

GoG resources are allocated where the MOE is required to take on additional budget


88

responsibilities: for instance, through the realignment of TVET. The MOE is also

exploring options to frontload resources for the sector: for example, through the

securitisation of the GETFund, which would enable future GETFund resources to be

used in advance (for example to complete needed construction projects).

2. Sustainable tertiary expansion. To expand the tertiary sector without overburdening

public resources, the MOE will explore opportunities to improve income through IGF,to

facilitate an increase in the share of enrolment at private universities, and to improve

access to and use of the Student Loan Trust Fund.

3. Explore a Voluntary Education Fund. The GoG 2018 budget statement proposed a

pathway for sustaining education programmes through the establishment of a Voluntary

Education Fund. This will give an opportunity for those in Ghana and across the

diaspora to contribute to the education sector in Ghana.

4. Adopting efficiency savings measures. As explained in the cost projections, the MOE is

committed to implementing strategies to improve the efficiency of service delivery and

improve systems capacity to translate resources into results and, as such, make the

system more efficient. Details of the efficiency measures have been explained under the

relevant sub-sections.

5. Pursuing development cooperation and partnerships. The MOE has actively engaged

with a number of international organisations, which have made commitments, or

indications of willingness to make future commitments, to support the education sector

over the medium to long term. These include both traditional development partners as

well as the potential for more co-financing, public–private partnerships, engagement with

philanthropic organisations, and supporting NGOs and CSOs in education to seek

additional resources to support the implementation of the ESP.


89

5 Monitoring and Evaluation framework

This chapter provides a basis for the implementation of the ESP 2018–2030. The M&E framework provides guidance on how to ensure effective

reporting to gauge the progress of the implementation of the ESP, in an effort to increase transparency and accountability. This section provides

accountability and reporting structures and a risk analysis. First, it lays out the full set of indicators and targets for each sub-sector, with the KPIs

highlighted in bold for each one. The SDG-specific indicators are also labelled; however, for some, targets and collection methods cannot be

identified until standards and methodologies are agreed internationally. All of the appropriate indicators will be disaggregated by sex, location,

wealth, and disability, when possible.

5.1 Basic education indicators

Indicator Baseline 2016/17

Target Data source Collection method Responsibility

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

KG GER 115.6 116 120 116 114 110 100

EMIS Annual Census

EMIS collects information

through Annual Census

EMIS

KG NER 74.6 80 86 90 94 98 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

Primary GER 111.4 116 116 116 116 113 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

Primary NER 91.1 91.3 91.6 92.0 92.4 93.5 95

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

JHS GER 86.8 89 90 91 92 96 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

JHS NER 49.7 51 52 53 55 60 65

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS


90

Transition rate from P6 to JHS1

94.3 95 96 98 99 100 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

SDG 4.2.1. Proportion of children under five years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being, by sex

UNICEF Multiple Indicator

Cluster Survey (MICS)

EMIS

SDG 4.2.2. Participation rate in organised learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

EMIS Annual

Census



EMIS

GPI at KG 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

GPI at primary 1.01 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

GPI at JHS 0.98 0.99 0.99 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

Primary school completion rate (P6 enrolment over P6 age-appropriate population)

100.8 100 100 100 100 100 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

JHS completion rate (JHS3 enrolment over JHS3 age-appropriate population)

75.2 78 82 88 92 98 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% of P2 pupils achieving mastery in early reading test (EGRA)

2 N/A N/A 8 N/A 20 40 National Education

Assessment Unit (NEAU)

NEAU conducts assessment and

writes report NaCCA

% of P2 pupils achieving mastery in P2 numeracy test (EGMA)

2 N/A N/A 8 N/A 20 40 NEAU NEAU conducts assessment and

writes report NaCCA


91

% of P4 pupils with proficiency in maths in NEA


writes report NaCCA

% of P4 pupils with proficiency in English in NEA


writes report NaCCA

% of P6 pupils with proficiency in English in NEA


writes report NaCCA

% of P6 pupils with proficiency in maths in NEA


writes report NaCCA

BECE performance: % pupils scoring more than 50% in all four core subjects

tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc BECE results

West African Examination

Council (WAEC) collects information

from BECE exams

WAEC

% trained teachers in public KG

65.1 67 70 72 75 85 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% trained teachers in public primary

76.0 78 80 82 84 90 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% trained teachers in public JHS

88.1 90 92 94 96 98 100

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

PTR at KG 30 32 34 35 35 35 35

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

PTR at primary 29 31 33 35 35 35 35

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

PTR at JHS 14 14 16 18 20 30 30

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS


92

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at KG

63.5 60 55 45 40 35 35

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at primary

52.4 50 45 40 38 35 35

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

Pupil–trained teacher ratio at JHS

20.6 22 25 28 30 30 30

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% primary schools with computers and internet for teaching

4 (2015) 4 15 30 40 50 60

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% JHS with computers and internet for teaching

10 (2015) 10 30 50 60 70 80

EMIS Annual Census



EMIS

% of basic education schools with functioning SMCs

N/A 50 60 75 85 95 100 SRC GES aggregates

results from SRC GES

% of schools with functioning PTAs

N/A 50 60 75 85 95 100 SRC GES aggregates

results from SRC GES

% of District Education Offices (DEOs) that have M&E plans

N/A 60 70 80 90 95 100 GES report GES conducts

monitoring report GES


93

SDG 4.a.1. Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b) the internet for pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic sanitation facilities; and (g) basic hand-washing facilities (as per the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) indicator definitions)8

EMIS Annual

Census



EMIS

5.2 Secondary education indicators

Indicator

Target Data

source Collection method

Responsibility Baseline

2016/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

SHS GER 50% 55% 58% 60% 63% 70% 83% EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

SHS NER 26.5% 29% 32% 34% 37% 45% 50% EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

Transition rate from JHS3 to SHS1

67.8% 75% 80% 85% 90% 93% 95% EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

8 Most of these sub-indicators are under development internationally, in terms of agreed standards and methodology.


94

SHS retention rate9 92% 94% 96% 97% 97% 97% 98% EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

% of CSSPS Category 3 schools admitting at

least 30% of students from public JHS

N/A tbc 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Free SHS

secretariat

Free SHS tracks data

through integrated

CSSPS

Free SHS

% of students enrolled in Category 3 schools

from public JHS N/A 45% 46% 47% 48% 53% 58%

Free SHS

secretariat

Free SHS tracks data

through integrated

CSSPS

Free SHS

% students (boys and girls) from the poorest two quintiles/deprived

areas accessing SHS

N/A N/A N/A N/A 50 N/A 80

Demographic and

Health Survey (DHS)

GSS produces report on DHS and

makes data available

Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring

and Evaluation

(PBME) Division of the MOE

reports on GSS report or further processes

data

Completion rates of children from Quintile

1 at the secondary level

13.9%

(DHS 2014) N/A N/A N/A 30% N/A 60%

DHS or Population and

Housing Census (PHC)

GSS writes report and PBME pulls

relevant data

PBME

SHS GPI 0.96 0.97 0.97 0.98 0.99 1.0 1.0 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

9 This is defined as the proportion of a cohort starting SHS who stay on and complete SHS.


95

PTR ratio 21 23 24 25 25 25 25 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

% teachers trained 90% 90% 91% 92% 93% 95% 97% EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

Textbooks per student – English

0.51 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.85 1.0 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

Student–classroom ratio

48 45 42 40 38 33 28 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

% SHS with computers and internet

NA 20 30 40 50 65 80 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

% of SHS students enrolled in elective science programme

11.7 13 18 25 30 35 40 EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

Proportion of WASSCE candidates who qualify for tertiary institutions

T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F WASSC

E results

WAEC collects information

from WASSCE examinations

WAEC 23 26 20 25 28 22 28 30 25 31 33 28 34 36 32 42 43 41 50 50 50

Proportion of WASSCE candidates achieving

pass in core subjects

(A1 to C6)

English T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F

WASSCE

results

WAEC collects information

from WASSCE examinations

WAEC

53 53 53 55 55 55 57 57 57 59 59 59 62 62 62 68 68 68 75 75 75

Maths T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F

34 38 29 35 40 31 37 42 34 40 44 37 43 46 41 50 51 49 57 57 57

Int. Science

T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F

49 52 45 51 54 47 53 56 49 55 58 52 58 60 55 65 67 63 70 71 69

Social studies

T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F

55 57 52 57 59 54 59 61 56 61 63 59 64 65 63 71 71 71 78 78 78


96

% of heads of public SHS who have signed

performance contracts with GES Director

General

20% 50% 85% 95% 100% 100% 100% GES

report GES produces

report GES

SDG 4.a.1 Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b)

the internet for pedagogical purposes;

(c) computers for pedagogical purposes;

(d) adapted infrastructure and

materials for students with disabilities; (e)

basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic

sanitation facilities; and (g) basic hand-

washing facilities (as per the WASH

indicator definitions)10

EMIS

Annual Census



EMIS

5.3 TVET indicators

Indicator

Target Data


Responsibility Baseline

2016/17 17/ 18 18/ 19 19/ 20 20/ 21 25/ 26 29/ 30

Number of MOE/GES TVIs 47 50 55 70 80 90 100 MOE/E

MIS Data collected from

GES/TVET Service EMIS

Enrolment in MOE/GES TVIs 45,215 65,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 120,000 MOE/E

MIS Data collected from TVIs TVET Service

% of BECE (JHS) candidates selecting TVIs for further education and training

3.7 5 10 15 20 25 30 MOE/E

MIS Data collected from CSSPS EMIS

% MOE/GES TVIs with smart classrooms, workshops, functional laboratories, and libraries

5 20 30 40 50 80 100 MOE/E


10 Most of these sub-indicators are under development in terms of agreed standards and methodology.


97

% of TVIs using CBT methodology 30 40 50 70 80 90 100 COTVET Data collected from TVIs TVET Service

Overall % of STEM-based programmes in TVIs 70 80 85 90 90 90 90 MOE/E


% TVIs with disability-friendly facilities 20 30 40 50 60 80 100 MOE/E

MIS Data collected from TVIs EMIS

% female enrolment in MOE/GES TVIs 25 28 30 35 40 45 50 MOE/E


Overall PTR in MOE/GES TVIs 19 19 20 22 20 18 15 MOE/E


% of teachers undergoing annual internships in industry

N/A 10 20 25 30 40 50 COTVET Data collected from TVIs COTVET

% of TVI leavers who are in productive employment two years after graduation

N/A 50 60 70 75 80 90 COTVET Tracer study COTVET

5.4 NFE indicators

Indicator

Target

Data source Collection method Responsibility Baseline 2016/17

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

Number of adult literacy education classes

3,000 3,200 3,500 4,000 4,500 7,500 10,000 EMIS Collected from NFED

and reported to EMIS

EMIS

Enrolment in face-to-face adult literacy programmes

100,000 100,000 110,000 110,000 120,000 200,000 300,000 EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS

Enrolment in newly created NFE programmes

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 100,000 300,000 EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS

% rural enrolment in face-to-face adult literacy programmes

N/A N/A 20% 22% 24% 30% 40% EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS

Literacy rate among 15–24-year-olds in three northern regions of Ghana

N 63%

N/A N/A N/A N/A

N 73% N 85%

DHS/PHC Report from GSS on

DHS/PHC

PBME collates information and reports

UE 64% UE 74% UE 85%

UW 68% UW 78% UW 85%

Enrolment in distance learning courses (including literacy app)

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1,000 4,000 EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS


98

% of NFE facilitators trained

N/A N/A 40% 50% 60% 100% 100% EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS

% learners reporting they have sustainable skills

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 60% 80% NFED Surveys from NFED NFED

Number of new NFE programmes developed with textbook/content material (aggregate from baseline)

N/A N/A N/A 2 3 6 10 NFED Report from NFED NFED

Number of annual monitoring trips conducted

1 1 2 3 4 4 4 NFED Monitoring reports

from NFED NFED

Number of surveys conducted on NFE needs (aggregate from baseline)

0 0 1 2 3 5 8 NFED Survey reports from

NFED NFED

Number of new NFE indicators being reported (aggregate from baseline)

0 0 0 0 0 5 10 EMIS Collected from NFED


EMIS

Number of new learning centres built

0 0 15 30 40 110 216 NFED report NFED writes report NFED

Proportion of NFE graduates who access skills development opportunities

N/A N/A N/A 5% 10% 20% 30% NFED Survey from NFED NFED

SDG 4.3.1. Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex11

EMIS Annual

Census

Participation tracked by NFED and

submitted to and collated by EMIS

EMIS/NFED

SDG 4.4.1 Proportion of youth and adults with ICT skills, by type of skill

EMIS Annual

Census Annual Census EMIS

SDG 4.6.1 Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

Relevant learning assessment once indicator defined

internationally

WAEC collects learning assessment

results WAEC

11 These last three indicators are under development, in terms of agreed standards and methodology.


99

5.5 Inclusive and special education indicators

Indicator

Target Data


Responsibility Baseline 2016/17

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

Enrolment in special education schools

6,689 7,000 7,500 8,000 8,500 13,000 20,000 EMIS

Annual Census

EMIS collects information through the

Annual Census

EMIS

Number of integrated SHS 8 8 9 10 11 15 25 EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% enrolment of SEN learners in public integrated basic schools

0.4% 0.6% 0.8% 0.9% 1% 1.5% 2% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% enrolment of SEN learners in public integrated SHS

0.2% 0.4% 0.6% 0.8% 1% 1.5% 2% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

Number of learners with SEN detected annually

N/A N/A 500 1,000 1,500 3,000 5,000 EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% of teachers in public basic schools trained in effectively teaching learners with SEN

N/A N/A 20% 30% 40% 60% 80% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% of teachers in public SHS trained in effectively teaching learners with SEN

N/A N/A 20% 30% 40% 60% 80% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% of integrated basic public schools provided with specialised TLMs for SEN learners

N/A N/A 10% 20% 35% 55% 80% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

% of integrated public SHS provided with specialised TLMs for SEN learners

N/A N/A 10% 20% 35% 55% 80% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS


100

% of learners with SEN progressing from basic to secondary education

N/A N/A 30% 35% 40% 55% 80% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

Status of mainstreaming inclusive education, measured by reference to milestones

N/A

Pre and in-

service teacher training includes

SEN

Inclusive curriculum

with established

rules of flexibility to meet

individual learning needs

Established rules for

accessibility in the

construction of buildings

and equipment

Established procedures

for early identification

and assessment

of SEN

Coordinated and

coherent data

collection and

monitoring systems

Assessments which are

able to respond to

children with SEN

GES ISE GES ISE division

to report to MOE

GES ISE

Proportion of special schools/regional assessment centres functioning as resource centres

0 tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc GES

Monitoring by DEOs, reporting

to GES headquarters

GES

Proportion of basic schools with mild and moderate disability-friendly infrastructure (ramps and/or hand-rails)

8% 9% 12% 15% 20% 30% 50% EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS

Proportion of schools where children with SEN are equipped with appropriate assistive devices

tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc tbc EMIS

Annual Census


Annual Census

EMIS


101

5.6 Tertiary education indicators

Indicator

Target

Data source Collection method

Responsibility Baseline 2016/17

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

Tertiary GER

15.95 16.97 17.99 20 25 30 40

Enrolment data of TEIs

NCTE to request and collate enrolment data from TEIs annually

NCTE

Science to humanities enrolment ratio

29:71 33:67 37:63 45:55 50:50 55:45 60:40 Enrolment data of TEIs


NCTE

Female enrolment as a percentage of total enrolment (%)

40.80 41.48 42.16 42.84 43.52 50 50 Enrolment data of TEIs


NCTE

% of qualified disadvantaged (disabled and poor socioeconomic background) applicants admitted

N/A 50 75 100 100 100 100 Enrolment data of TEIs


NCTE

% students in the two poorest quintiles/ deprived areas accessing tertiary education

N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 N/A 35 DHS

GSS produces report on DHS and makes data available

PBME reports on GSS report or further processes data


102

% of institutions with quality assurance units, policies, and processes in place and operational

N/A 50 75 100 100 100 100 NAB reports on TEIs

NCTE to request data from NAB

NCTE

% of full-time university lecturers with PhD

37 39 42 45 50 65 80 Staff data of universities

NCTE to request for annual reports of universities

NCTE

Graduation rates N/A 70 70 75 80 85 90 Graduation data of TEIs

NCTE to request graduation data from TEIs

NCTE

Distribution of graduates by ISCED5 fields of education from 2018

N/A

Commence collecting data by

this method

and ongoing

Data collection

and analysis

Data collection and

analysis

Data collection and analysis

Data collection

and analysis

Data collection

and analysis

Graduation data of TEIs

NCTE to request and collate graduation data from TEIs annually

NCTE

National research priority areas agreed with all stakeholders

N/A Completed Implement research in

priority areas

Implement research in

priority areas


priority areas


priority areas


priority areas

NCTE research agenda

NCTE creates research agenda

NCTE

Number of publications per academic staff per annum

0.5 0.65 0.85 1 1.5 2 2 Research publication data of TEIs

NCTE to request for research reports from TEIs

NCTE

International students as percentage of total enrolments

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.5 4.0 6.0 10.0 Enrolment data of TEIs

NCTE to request enrolment data from TEIs

NCTE

International faculty as a percentage of total faculty

0.5 1.0 1.5 2 2.5 3 5 Staff data of TEIs

NCTE to request staff data from TEIs

NCTE


103

% of polytechnic or technical university teachers with industry experience

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Staff data of TEIs

NCTE to request staff data from TEIs

NCTE

New Acts for NCTE and NAB

Old Acts New Acts

passed

Implement-ation of new

Acts

Implementation of new

Acts


Acts


Acts


Acts

Implement-ation of new Acts

Implement-ation of new Acts

NCTE, NAB

% of newly qualified teachers meeting NTS for licensing

N/A 20 30 40 70 85 95 Data from COEs

NAB collects and reports data from COEs

NAB

% of ITEIs implementing curriculums aligned with the NTS and NTECF

N/A 40 60 80 85 95 100 Monitoring reports of COEs

NAB conducts monitoring and writes report

NAB

% of University COEs meeting NAB accreditation criteria

N/A 20 40 60 75 88 100 Monitoring reports of COEs

NAB conducts monitoring and writes report

NAB

5.7 Education management indicators

Indicator

Target

Data source Collection method Responsibility Baseline 2016/17

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 25/26 29/30

% teacher absenteeism 19 (2014) 19 17 15 10 5 3 NIB reports GES collects data

from NIB NIB

% teacher time-on-task N/A N/A 40 50 70 80 85 NIB reports GES collects data

from NIB NIB

% of districts with the appropriate PTR at primary, based on assessed need

N/A N/A 10% 50% 100% 100% 100% GES human

resources/EMIS

GES human resources collects from teacher deployment system

linked to EMIS

GES human resources


104

% of teachers who have undergone NTC-approved in-service training/CPD

N/A 10 20 30 40 70 90 NTC data GES collects data

from NTC GES human resources

% of head teachers who have undergone NTC-approved school leadership training

N/A N/A N/A 5% 10% 25% 40% NTC data GES collects data

from NTC GES human resources

Number of research studies coordinated and reported by MOE

NA NA 2 4 6 10 10 Research Unit

of MOE PBME collects data from Research Unit

PMBE

% of district budget mobilised locally at the district level

N/A 5 10 15 20 25 30 DEOs’ reports FA receives data from

DOEs Finance and

Administration

% of private schools registered 40 50 60 70 80 100 100 NIB/EMIS data GES collects data from NIB/EMIS

GES

% of districts with ADEOPs N/A 30 50 70 80 100 100 DEOs GES collates ADEOPs GES

% basic school pupils in the last two poorest quintiles/deprived areas receiving social intervention support

N/A N/A N/A N/A 40 N/A 70 DHS GSS produces report on DHS and makes

data available

PBME reports on GSS report or

further processes data

% of MMDAs that are fully decentralised

N/A N/A 30 50 60 80 100 MMDAs’ reports

PBME collects data from MMDAs

PBME

SDG 4.7.1. Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including gender equality and human rights) are mainstreamed at all levels in: (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment12

12 These sub-indicators are under development, in terms of agreed standards and methodology.


105

First, it is necessary to lay out several critical assumptions that underpin the M&E framework.

While these assumptions have been addressed in the implementation frameworks of the ESP

2018–2030, as they underlie the development of an effective M&E system, particular attention

should be paid to making sure they are appropriately set up. A comprehensive Monitoring,

Evaluation, and Learning Capacity Development plan will be developed to mitigate the risk that

some or all of these assumptions may pose. The assumptions are as follows:

Adequate planning procedures and documentation will be in place at each level of

administration and operation.

Adequate capacity of agencies and departments in MOE-GES, including DEOs and

Regional Education Offices (REOs), will be available to carry out M&E.

Adequate and quality data collection, analysis, and reporting will take place at all levels.

Adequate IT infrastructure will be in place for M&E.

Adequate financial, material, and human resources will be available on time to implement

M&E activities at all levels.

Monitoring teams at various levels in the education sector will support the day-to-day

monitoring activities of the agencies, departments, divisions, regions, and districts.

Means of transportation for M&E activities will be available at all levels of implementation of

the ESP.

A reliable and regularly updated website will widely publicise M&E results.

All the agencies, departments, divisions, regions, and districts will have designated and

qualified M&E focal persons and working groups to carry out M&E activities.

5.8 Accountability and reporting structures

5.8.1 Overview

Ultimate responsibility for meeting the targets outlined in the ESP 2018–2030 rests with the

MOE leadership. This specifically includes the Minister of Education, the Deputy Ministers of

Education, and the Chief Director. However, the implementation and reporting structures are not

the sole responsibility of any one particular agency of the MOE, and a sector-wide approach is

necessary.

In general, a decentralised implementation and reporting structure is employed, where schools

report to districts, who report to regions, and finally to headquarters. In terms of implementation,

after the creation of the ESP, the MOE creates four-yearly ESMTDPs according to guidelines

outlined by the NDPC. Based on these, districts create ADEOPs to outline their activities and

targets on an annual basis. Schools then create School Performance Improvement Plans

(SPIPs) for basic schools or SPPPs for secondary schools, outlining their plans for school

improvement.

In terms of monitoring and reporting, districts collate reports from schools, which are then

collated at the regional level as regional quarterly performance reports. These are sent to the

GES national level to be collated into national quarterly performance reports on pre-tertiary


106

education. This is followed by a performance review conference organised annually by the MOE

to share performance information with key education stakeholders at the district, regional, and

national levels.

5.8.2 Institutions involved

A number of institutions will be involved in the M&E framework for the ESP 2018–2030. The

primary sectoral focal point is the MOE and its agencies and units, as outlined in Error!

eference source not found..

Figure 8: Organogram of the MOE as at 2018

At the pre-tertiary levels, the GES, with its decentralised regional and district directorates, has

the mandate to ensure and coordinate implementation of all policies pertaining to basic

education and second cycle education. An organogram for the GES is given in Figure 9Error!

eference source not found.. These bodies will play an important role in the implementation

and M&E of the ESP. They constitute the sectoral focal points for the provision of

data/information on a timely basis on chosen indicators and for the preparation of timely reports.

At the TVET level, COTVET and the proposed TVET Service plays a coordination role. At the

tertiary level, the NCTE is the key coordination agency. NFE is directed by the NFED, which will

soon be converted into an agency. Other groups that will play key roles include non-


107

governmental bodies, community-based organisations, CSOs, development partners, and

parents.

Figure 9: Organogram of the GES

5.8.3 Data collection

Monitoring of the ESP 2018–2030 will rely on data collection primarily from EMIS but also from

a host of other sources, including WAEC, NEAU, NCTE, COTVET, national surveys such as the

DHS and PHC, administrative data, and other independent studies. The EMIS unit of the MOE

collects data from November to March of every year, and uses the period from April to May to

process data and compile reports. Key indicators are made available to the public electronically

in June, and the Education Sector Performance Report (ESPR) compiles the data into a report

in July of every year. This data cycle feeds directly into the budget cycle. Sector ceilings are

released in mid-June of every year by MOFEP, at which point the MOE must begin costing out

programmes and activities according to the priority areas. Ghana uses programme-based

budgeting, which links planned expenditures to results and improved service delivery. The MOE

submits its budget request in July of every year, and after budget hearings the budget is

finalised before the end of December.

Examination data are also available on an annual basis and feed into EMIS reporting.

EGRA/EGMA testing has taken place twice in Ghana: in 2013 and 2015. National Education

Assessments are administered every two years, with the latest one in 2016. Aside from data

processed by the MOE, the PHC is conducted every 10 years with the next PHC expected in

2020. Two DHS have been conducted in Ghana: in 2008 and 2012.

5.8.4 Reporting structures

Reporting structures at the tertiary and pre-tertiary levels diverge. At the tertiary level, the NCTE

is the key body responsible for reporting on all indicators and outcomes. The Research,

Planning and Policy Development Department of the NCTE sends out a template to institutions


108

in January of every year to provide data for the ongoing academic year. Data are then collated

by the NCTE at the end of the academic year.

The reporting structure for pre-tertiary is given below and will be strengthened through a School

Management Division that is being set up by the GES to boost accountability in the system.

5.8.4.1 School level

At the end of the first and third term of every academic year, basic schools receive statistics on

their school performance in the form of an SRC, which they share with the community through a

School Performance Appraisal Meeting. The SRC is also displayed on the school noticeboard.

The information from the SRC is then used to prepare SPIPs, which are created in tandem with

the SMC and the PTA and are a prerequisite to receiving the capitation grant. These are then

approved by the District Director of Education (DDE). Once approved, schools receive funds to

carry out activities outlined in their SPIPs. These funds are received from the DEOs. Head

teachers monitor the implementation of the SPIP to ensure the achievement of targets. At the

secondary level, schools under the SEIP have been receiving funds for their SPPPs, which are

signed off by the GES headquarters and by the REOs.

In terms of reporting, the school is also the source of primary data collection for the EMIS

Annual Census. Head teachers report on EMIS data for their school, and this is then submitted

to circuit supervisors for verification and accuracy. Heads of basic schools are also responsible

for submitting information that is used to generate the SRC in the first and third term of every

academic year. A pilot has taken place of a mobile SRC and national roll-out is being

considered. This system will provide real-time information on the school. At the secondary level,

a school mapping portal is in place that collects data once a year on all SHS in the country and

is used to generate key statistics on each SHS.

5.8.4.2 District level

At the district level, District Directors/circuit supervisors are responsible for ensuring that

SPIPs/SPPPs have been approved and are being implemented and reported on. They carry out

routine monitoring and report on the performance of schools, collating reports into circuit

reports. DEOs are responsible for incorporating Circuit Supervisor reports into district quarterly

and annual performance reports.

The DEO also monitors and tracks the progress of the ADEOP, as well as collating school

reporting on EMIS and uploading this into EMIS software.

5.8.4.3 Regional level

REOs have oversight monitoring responsibility for the district, to ensure that DEOs are

performing their monitoring activities as planned. DEOs will provide quarterly and annual reports

on KPIs of the ESP. The REOs coordinate activities of the districts to ensure that district

activities are contributing to the larger education goals of the region and that implementation is

on track. They ensure that appropriate intervention strategies are put in place to support districts

encountering difficulties in achieving performance targets. From the monitoring activities, REOs


109

prepare quarterly and annual regional ESPRs which are sent to the Director General of GES, as

well as carrying out data quality assurance.

5.8.4.4 GES headquarters level

GES headquarters has oversight responsibility for the REOs and monitors them to ensure

compliance with monitoring standards. GES produces unified quarterly and annual ESPRs from

regional quarterly and annual performance reports. The different departments and units of GES,

such as special education, the Girls Education Unit, and ICT, will provide information KPIs that

relate to their units.

5.8.4.5 MOE

At the MOE level, the Planning, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation (PBME) Division will track

and measure progress toward attainment of the ESP goals. This monitoring will rely heavily on

EMIS data. Once a year, an ESPR is produced to document this progress, and the National

Education Sector Annual Review (NESAR), an annual conference organised by the MOE,

provides an opportunity for PBME to disseminate progress made over the past year with

stakeholders of education. An Aide Memoire is signed between the MOE and development

partners at the end of NESAR to further inform progress on the ESP. All of these activities will

be expanded in future to include the full extent of reporting on the ESP.

Table 14: Summary of performance management tasks and responsibilities

TASK RESPONSIBILITY

PRIMARY SOURCE SECONDARY SOURCE

Data collection

Head teachers, circuit supervisors, District EMIS Unit, heads of SHS, COTVET, tertiary institutions, NCTE, NFED

EMIS, BED, Division, NCTE, TVET Service, SPED

Review of performance information M&E officers, DDEs, Regional Directors of Education (RDEs)

Director General of GES, Director BED, Special Education Division, PBME, NCTE, Director General TVET Service

Data quality assurance DEOs, REOs, GES headquarters, heads of tertiary institutions, COTVET

PBME, NAB, NCTE

Data analysis

DEOs, REOs, GES headquarters (Basic Education Division (BED), Girls’ Education Unit, School Health Education Unit, Special Education Unit, Finance and Administration Division), NCTE, COTVET, NFED

Head teachers, DDE, RDEs, Director General GES, PBME, Statistics, Research, Information Management (SRIM), and Public Relations (division of the MOD, TVET Service


110

Preparation of reports

DEOs, REOs, GES HQ (BED), Girls’ Education Unit, School Health Education Unit, Special Education Division, Finance and Administration Division), NCTE, COTVET, NFED

PBME, SRIM

Performance review meetings Head teachers, DDEs, RDEs, Director General GES, NESAR, Director General TVET Service, NCTE

Chief Director MOE, PBME Director, SRIM Director

Use of performance information Head teachers, DDE, RDEs, Director General GES, NCTE, COTVET

Head teachers, DDE, RDEs, Director General GES, NFED, SPED, heads of tertiary institutions

Source: Adapted from Partnership for Education: Evaluating Systems (2015) ‘Revised ESP performance monitoring processes, definitions and indicators’, unpublished paper.

5.9 Key tools for effective implementation and M&E

The following are key tools to ensure effective implementation and M&E of the ESP:

ESMTDP: This is a four-year rolling plan prepared by MOE for the implementation of the

ESP and is designed to coincide with the budget cycle and the Medium-Term Expenditure

Framework of GoG.

Annual work plans: All departments and specialised units under the MOE will develop

annual work plans driven by strategies and goals of the ESMTDP 2018–2021.

ADEOPs: DEOs of GES will develop ADEOPs contributing directly to the ESMTDP.

EMIS data: The availability of reliable and comprehensive data from the EMIS is critical to

enable effective M&E of the ESMTDP. The EMIS conducts an annual school census to

gather national and sub-national data to track the progress of key indicators.

Other sources of data: data from other sources such as WAEC, NEAU, NCTE, COTVET,

etc., as well as surveys conducted by the GSS, such as the DHS and PHC, will also be

used.

The ESP will be reviewed at mid-term in 2024 to ensure that it is still relevant and responsive to

the needs of Ghana’s education system.

In addition, the MOE will be primarily responsible for conducting research and evaluation to

generate evidence and objective data to enhance management decisions and to determine the

effect of various interventional strategies implemented to support the ESP. This research and

these evaluations may be carried out internally by staff of the MOE or they may be contracted to

universities and research institutions within the country to address key policy issues. The

research and evaluation agenda will aim to promote organisational learning in the Ministry and

will help to harness the expertise of local research institutions to test hypotheses to improve the

quality of learning outcomes, equity, and management. The MOE already has research

agendas established at the basic and secondary levels that will continue creating a knowledge


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base to aid strategic decision-making and planning by the MOE. The research agenda has been

captured as part of the implementation sub-sector policy objectives of the ESP 2018–2030.

The coordination of all research and monitoring activities will be the function of the SRIM

division of the MOE, with support from the PBME division. It is expected that all the agencies of

the MOE, including NIB, NTC, NaCCA, NAB and NCTE, will periodically conduct external

evaluations on policy questions related to their mandate.

5.9.1 Links with other Service Delivery Indicators

The focus of the Service Delivery Indicators (SDI) initiative is on quality. This initiative has been

designed to link with other research studies in education and health to capture the inputs in

policy and institutional environment, as well as education or health outcomes.

The following are the surveys by sector linked to SDI:

The Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ).

Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC). (These are standardised

surveys that primarily focus on education outcomes.)

SDI also links to the World Bank’s Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER)

initiative that focuses mainly on the policy and institutional environment.

5.10 Risk factors and remediation

There are a number of critical requirements for the effective implementation of ESP 2018–2030:

a consistent and equitable allocation of public financial resources to education that will affect

broad-based internal and external efficiency in education;

a results-oriented management of the expenditure system that ensures coherence between

spending and implementation needs emerging from the M&E system;

a well-managed continuing capacity building plan for the sustainability of ESP;

a well-planned sector-wide approach to coordinate development partners’ support;

effective communication to stakeholders; and

built-in flexibility that allows for adaptation to change as circumstances and policies change.

The involvement and support of high-level officials in the MOE, coupled with the extensive

consultation with other stakeholders during the development of the ESP, gives confidence that

there is a high-level of commitment for achieving the objectives of the ESP. However, there are

risk factors that exist that need to be managed. These include risks to the broad goal, to the

indicators, to the performance objectives, to the outputs, and to the action plan. It is important

for each division and agency to assess potential risks and develop a plan to manage risk.

Table 15 presents the risks to the implementation of the ESP that have been identified, and how

these can be mitigated. In addition to this, more detailed risk assessment and management

http://www.sacmeq.org/

http://www.confemen.org/le-pasec

http://saber.worldbank.org/index.cfm


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procedures should be developed for each sub-sector and these should be updated on an

annual basis.

Table 15: Risks identified for implementation of ESP 2018–2030

Risk Potential adverse impact

Risk level

Risk management strategy Responsibility

Inadequate government funding

Educational targets not achieved, which cascades through the whole system

M MOFEP to participate in monitoring and budgeting activities

Minister of Education

Weak or unsustainable support from society and sectors related to education

Discontinuation/revision of targets and procedures. Limited quality outcomes at all educational levels

H

Invest more in information communication and dissemination of the ESP. Promote civil society participation in the execution of key programmes


Insufficient international financing to support the implementation of the ESP

MOE not able to build the internal capacity to implement the ESP. Education targets not achieved as a result

H

Strengthen support with key development partners. Establish new partnerships with other DPs. Explore private sources of funding or PPPs

Minister of Education; MOFEP; NDPC

High expenditures on compensation leaves inadequate funds for goods and services and capital expenditure

Not enough internal funding for TLMs, libraries, regular in-service training for teachers, and remedial support for pupils at the pre-tertiary level

H

Ensure increase in government funding and higher allocation to other goods and services and capital. Implement a comprehensive framework on funding


Ineffective mechanisms for programme management and M&E

Indicators in ESP not achieved and limited quality of outcomes

M

Strengthen monitoring and reporting measures, including ADEOP preparation, Circuit Supervisor monitoring, and strengthen structures


Poor remediation of teachers

Inadequate pedagogical skills to improve children’s learning, including literacy; poor content knowledge

M

Strengthen continuous professional development and improve pre-service training of teachers



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6 Communications strategy

Three regional consultations were held in December 2017 to share both the ESP 2018–2030

and ESMTDP 2018–2021 with stakeholders at the national, regional, district, and school levels.

The feedback received was then incorporated into updated plans. In addition to the MOE and its

agencies, various other stakeholders were represented at these dissemination workshops,

including civil society, the private sector, MMDAs, development partners, the media, etc. During

the process of finalising the ESP and ESMTDP 2018–2021 from January to August 2018,

consultation continued in order to share information from the plan, to engage stakeholders, and

to further inform the plan. This culminated in the ESP and ESMDTP being shared at the

National Education Week in August 2018, with the analysis, objectives, and strategies in the

plan underpinning the discussions.

At the National Education Week 2018, the MOE was requested to share the ESP and ESMTDP

documents widely to ensure districts and communities could engage and support the

achievement of the vision set out in the plan. The MOE is committed to doing this through –

ensuring the opportunity provided by key education events to present and inform

stakeholders about the plan – in particular at regional and district level – is seized;

linking messages on key education initiatives with the objectives in the plan; and

disseminating copies of the ESP and ESMTDP 2018–2021 to all DEOs and supporting

District Education Directors, to enable them to share the vision.

Central to the ESP’s vision of education in Ghana is the critical need to improve learning

outcomes and offer high-quality education for all. To achieve this, the strategies outlined in the

ESP will foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning, and will embed this in

Ghana’s education system. To communicate the vision, which is underpinned by key reforms,

the MOE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, has developed a ‘National Education

Reform Communications Strategy’, which lays out the vision, objectives, and methods for the

role of communications in the national education reforms. Communication will facilitate dialogue,

negotiation, and consensus-building amongst key education stakeholders. In doing so, it will

maximise the successful implementation and sustainability of the reforms, which are in

themselves part of the vision underpinning the ESP 2018–2030 and ESMTDP 2018–2021.

To ensure this communication reaches from the central to the local level, the MOE will work in

partnership with CSOs and NGOs, through the coordination of GNECC, to widely disseminate

the ESP in the most appropriate form to local communities. This may include radio broadcasts,

community meetings, and the creation of simple and engaging materials to communicate the

key messages of the ESP. This is a role that CSOs have successfully played in the past and it

will enable local communities to engage with the substance of the plan and understand what to

expect from the national reform agenda. Furthermore, better coordination of the activities of

NGOs in the sector is a stated objective within the ESP, and to improve this, whilst also

enhancing dissemination of the plan, all NGOs that are given approval to work in education will

receive a copy of the ESP and ESMTDP. Not only will this ensure that NGO activities are

properly aligned with GoG’s plans but it will also provide another avenue through which local

communities can understand and benefit from the strategies and activities of the plan.


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An important aspect of communication is reporting on progress against the ESP and ESMTDP.

Clear forms of communication for reporting on the ESMTDP 2018–2021 are already in place.

The MOE will continue to produce the annual ESPR in July/August, which serves as the key

document for annually reporting on indicators and targets outlined in the ESMTDP, as well as

key programmes and interventions undertaken to achieve these results. This report is circulated

widely among education stakeholders before the annual Sector Review during the Education

Week. Regular meetings of the Sector Working Group, DP group, and civil society, through the

coordination of GNECC, will also hold the MOE to account on progress against the stated

targets.

The Sector Review serves as a reporting platform through which to share progress on the

meeting of targets within the ESMTDP with education stakeholders, as well as to plan for the

future. Education stakeholders at all levels are invited: schools, districts, regions, and

headquarters. Other attendees include personnel within other ministries, DPs, tertiary

institutions, CSOs, NGOs, and the private sector. The Aide Memoire that is signed at the end of

the business meeting day of the Education Week serves as an accountability mechanism

regarding the fulfilment of obligations agreed upon during the week.

Communication is central to achieving the objectives and ambition of the ESP and ESMTDP

2018–2021. By engaging and uniting stakeholders through clear communication of the ambition,

priorities, and progress, the vision of a dynamic education sector that ‘prepares and equips all

Ghanaians with relevant education and skills to promote socioeconomic development and

national orientation’ will become a reality.


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References

GSS, Ghana Health Service, and ICF International (2015) Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2014. Rockville, Maryland, USA: GSS, Ghana Health Service, and ICF International.

MOE (2013) Education Sector Medium Term Plan 2014–2017. MOE, Accra, Ghana

MOE (2018) Education Sector Analysis 2018. MOE, Accra, Ghana.

Perry, H., Gray, J., Cole, P., Abdulai, A. (2018) ‘Education Sector Analysis on Cost and Finance in Ghana. Final Thematic Report’.

Perry et al. (2018) Ghana ESP Cost Projection Model (2019)


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Annex A: Education Reform Delivery Framework in Ghana13

A.1 Background

The Government of Ghana has initiated wide-ranging education reforms to transform teaching

and learning and improve educational outcomes. The Ministry of Education (MOE) intends to

deliver this comprehensive reform agenda through a coordinated Education Reform Delivery

Framework spearheaded by the Minister of Education. The goal of the reforms is to transform

the education sector and make it more relevant in regard to meeting the human resource and

development needs of Ghana. It is expected that these reforms will ultimately contribute to the

goals of the Education Sector Plan (ESP) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), and

will lead to the improvement of learning outcomes, especially at the pre-tertiary levels. Improved

learning outcomes, enhanced accountability, and equity at all levels of the education sector are

the three main priorities of the education reforms.

The reform agenda is required to make the sector effective in fulfilling the mission of the MOE

and in creating institutions that are responsive to the achievements of the goals of the sector.

Above all, there needs to be capacity and commitment throughout the system to enable

effective implementation of the proposed reforms. These reforms include the following:

1. Policy on teacher education reforms through Transforming Teacher Education and

Learning (T-TEL): Leads to the conversion of the Colleges of Education (COEs) into

University Colleges and the roll-out of a new Bachelor of Education teacher education

curriculum to improve the quality of new teachers for the basic education sector.

2. Pre-tertiary curriculum reform through the National Council for Curriculum and

Assessment (NaCCA): Leads to the design and implementation of a new pre-tertiary

education curriculum with standards and assessment frameworks.

3. Legal, institutional, and regulatory reforms: Leads to the creation of a new agency that

combines the functions of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the National Council

for Tertiary Education (NCTE).

4. Tertiary education reform: Leads to the conversion of the National Film and Television

Institute (NAFTI) and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) into two separate universities;

and the consolidation of the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education Winneba and a

few existing COEs into a Technical Teacher Training University, in addition to other

governance and regulatory reforms.

5. Technical, vocational education, and training (TVET) reforms: Realigns all technical and

vocational institutions (TVIs) to be under the MOE and creates a Technical and Vocational

Education Service to govern them.

6. Operationalisation of a pre-tertiary teacher professional and management

development framework through the National Teaching Council (NTC): Leads to the

13 See MOE (2018) ‘Education Reform Delivery Framework Concept Note’, August 2018, for further details


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establishment of a teacher licensing and registration system in Ghana, and a framework for

teacher career progression based on the acquisition of skills and competencies.

7. Introduction of a new school supervision and inspection system through the National

Inspectorate Board (NIB): Leads to the establishment of a new inspection framework,

inspection tools, and revised inspection protocols, in partnership with Education

Development and Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED).

8. Basic education decentralisation reform: Leads to the devolution of basic education to

District Assemblies, impacting the functions of the Ghana Education Service (GES), NTC,

NaCCA, and NIB.

9. Public–private partnership initiative for school management: Leads to the MOE and

GES partnering with non-state actors to manage and deliver effective education service in

public senior high schools (SHS).

10. GES institutional reform: leads to the streamlining of GES’s operations to increase

efficiency and reduce the redundancies resulting from basic education decentralisation, and

a comprehensive reform of human resources systems.

11. Information and communication technology (ICT) in education reforms: Seeks to

develop early desire and competences in children to use ICT, equip pre-tertiary learners

with ICT skills, infuse ICTs into education management, and transform teacher development

and tertiary education through technology-based training.

12. Secondary education reform (four pillars): With the Free SHS Programme, the MOE

seeks to absorb all fees paid at the SHS level, and additionally to expand physical

infrastructure, improve quality, and promote skill development and equity.

These 12 reform initiatives are aimed at addressing the current weaknesses in Ghana’s

education sector, as identified in the Education Sector Analysis on System Capacity report, and

by senior Ministry officials. The weaknesses are14:

a complex organisation at central level;

low and uneven resource distribution, and low accountability for resource utilisation at local

levels;

salaries absorbing nearly all recurrent public expenditure;

school and local-level accountability;

issues of coordination across and within the Ministry and its agencies;

inadequate coordination and monitoring of private schools;

data gaps, and inadequate use of data and research to inform education policy and

implementation;

staff capacity gaps at the MOE, GES, and agencies; and

issues with teacher capacity, high attrition rates, and teacher rationalisation.

14 At a planning session called by the Minister on 22 July 2018, in order to agree and operationalise the reform delivery framework.


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The reforms detailed in the ESP 2018–2030 are designed to strengthen the sector institutions to

overcome the abovementioned capacity gaps, and to accomplish the goals outlined in the ESP,

which include:

improved equitable access to and participation in quality basic education;

improved equitable access to and participation in quality SHS education;

strengthened competency-based skill development in TVET;

improved opportunities for non-literate youth and adults to have free access to meaningful

quality education and training;

improved access for persons with disability, the vulnerable, and the talented;

improved equitable access to world-class tertiary education; and

improved planning and management efficiency in the delivery of education.

The end goal of these reforms is ‘to deliver quality education service at all levels that will equip

learners in educational institutions with the skills, competencies and awareness that would

make them functional citizens who can contribute to the attainment of the national development

goals.’

A.2 The Education Reform Delivery Framework

The Concept Note for the Education Reform Delivery Framework outlines an approach, led by

the MOE, to ensure:

i. alignment and coordination of reforms within the framework of the ESP, and a

mechanism to ensure that synergies and linkages between them are identified and

maximised;

ii. clear ownership and accountability for each reform at all levels of the system down to the

school, with each reform ‘owner’ able to access capacity development and expert advice

to support implementation; and

iii. identification and resolution of blockages, obstacles, and bottlenecks to the

implementation of priority reforms and learning outcomes.

The design of Ghana’s Education Reform Delivery Framework draws upon the evidence and

experience of the use of delivery approaches to ensure that it adheres to a number of key best

practice principles which the MOE believes will drive effective implementation of education

reforms. These principles are summarised below:

Prioritisation and resourcing: Focusing on a number of key priorities to ensure that they

are adequately resourced and that the intended results are clearly understood across the

education system.

Data, information, and routines: Using regular data as the basis for establishing effective

performance management routines, developing metrics to measure priorities, and ensuring

that this is used to inform decision-making.


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Analysis and understanding of implementation issues: Actively engaging and

supporting Reform Owners to identify blockages and issues, resolving these through rapid

problem-solving through to school and local levels.

Communication, accountability, and culture change: Ensuring effective accountability for

reforms, and overseeing and coordinating communications on progress against the reforms.

The MOE recognises the importance of phasing and prioritising reform initiatives so that they

complement each other and are implemented in a logical manner to maximise the intended

impact on learning outcomes. Failure to correctly phase reforms risks undermining their impact

whilst trying to implement too many reforms at once risks overstretching capacity. The new

Education Reform Delivery Framework will address this issue by:

i. having a broad remit to oversee and report on progress for all reform initiatives, which

will be required to produce implementation roadmaps and operate their own working

groups; and

ii. focusing on a small sub-set of prioritised issues, as identified and directed by the

Minister, to problem-solve and drive implementation through deep-dives and the

production of prioritised action plans as necessary.

A small number of reform initiatives with the greatest potential to rapidly improve learning

outcomes will therefore need to be prioritised if the education reform structures are to assist in

achieving rapid results. The initial planning session led by the Minister on 22 July 2018 identified

poor school and local-level accountability, low teacher time-on-task, weak teacher capacity, and

lack of prioritisation of literacy and numeracy as the major constraints to improved learning

outcomes. Given that the MOE’s principal focus is on fostering rapid improvements to learning

outcomes, it is likely that the following reform areas will be prioritised for in-depth monitoring,

problem-solving, and other technical support:

policy on teacher education reforms through T-TEL;

the design and implementation of a new pre-tertiary education curriculum through NaCCA;

legal, institutional and regulatory reforms; and

operationalisation of a pre-tertiary teacher professional and management development

framework through the NTC.

To ensure effective and efficient delivery and implementation of the prioritised reforms, the MOE

will establish an Education Reform Secretariat which will ensure that there is clear leadership of

the process, led by the Minister of Education. This will have four main functions:

i. Coordination – Alignment and coordination of reforms within the framework of the ESP

to ensure that synergies and linkages between them are identified and maximised.

ii. Accountability – Clear ownership and accountability for each reform through a named

‘reform owner’.

iii. Capacity building – Each reform ‘owner’ is able to access capacity development and

advice to support implementation.


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iv. Problem-solving – Identification and resolution of blockages, obstacles, and

bottlenecks to the implementation of priority reforms and learning outcomes.

A.3 Structure and staffing of the Education Reform Delivery Framework

The Education Reform Delivery Framework will be comprised of the Reform Steering

Committee, the Reform Technical Working Group, and the Education Reform Secretariat. The

implementation of each reform initiative will be led by a Reform Owner, who will be ultimately

accountable for delivering results for that reform.

The Reform Steering Committee will be chaired by the Minister of Education, and will thereby

provide the highest level of accountability to drive reforms. The Reform Technical Working

Group will be made up of all Reform Owners implementing reform initiatives, and will be

coordinated and chaired by the National Reform Coordinator. The Education Reform

Secretariat, led by the National Reform Coordinator, will report directly to the Minister of

Education and ensure that every Reform Owner has developed a ‘roadmap’ with clear activities,

targets and milestones. Each Reform Owner will then report on the progress of implementation

every month using the forum provided by the Technical Working Group to problem-solve any

blockages, etc. The secretariat will be staffed by a small number of capable advisers who will

carry out the following functions:

Performance reporting – Compiling progress reports from Reform Owners and conducting

all preparations for Education Reform Steering Committee meetings.

Technical support, advice, and capacity building – to working groups to enable them to

oversee initiative progress, develop roadmaps, and then ensure that these roadmaps remain

on track.

Data and analysis – Assisting working groups to establish data collection and reporting

mechanisms (using existing structures and systems where possible) to ensure that they are

able to track progress against each reform initiative.

Problem-solving – as directed by the Minister of Education through the Reform Steering

Committee – focusing on his priorities, to conduct a rapid analysis of the issue to develop

and implement practical solutions.

In addition, technical advisers will be recruited as and when necessary to support Reform

Owners to address specific gaps identified through the Technical Working Group. They will

provide technical expertise as required for the successful delivery of the objectives of the

reform. these technical advisers will report to the respective Reform Owners.


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Annex B: ESP development process

The ESP 2018–2030 was developed to align with guidelines outlined in GPE’s Guidelines for

Education Sector Plan Preparation (GPE and UNESCO, 2015) captured in Figure 10, which

highlights a country-led approach and a plan adapted to respond to the needs of the country.

The ESP development framework has the following seven stages: education sector analysis,

policy priorities and strategies, costing and financing, programme design, action plan,

implementation arrangements, and M&E.

Figure 10: The components of the ESP development process

Source: GPE and UNESCO, 2015

In developing the plan, particular attention was given to the vision underlying the education

system in Ghana: ‘to produce well-balanced individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills,

values, aptitudes and attitudes to become functional and productive citizens for the total

development and the democratic advancement of the nation’ (GoG, 2002). This philosophy of

education continues to resonate in the current vision of education in Ghana.

The first step in developing the ESP 2018–2030 was to review relevant documentation,

including the ESP 2010–2020, annual status reports, and national surveys and censuses,


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amongst others. In addition, relevant statistics were collected and analysed to understand the

current state of education. This information provided the support structure under which the

strengths and weaknesses within Ghana’s education sector were identified. Accompanying this

analysis was a review of international commitments, national-level plans, and the

macroeconomic context of Ghana.

Policy priorities and strategies were identified through the dissemination of the ESA report to

senior officers at the MOE and its agencies. The development of the action plan involved

consultations with the Technical Team and Steering Committee to identify the overarching

framework. The action plan development process was conducted using the framework decided

in the programme design stage. The zero draft plan went through consultations with internal

committees.

To ensure that the final ESP 2018–2030 evolves from the contributions of relevant stakeholders,

the 2016 NESAR, the annual conference organised by the MOE, focused on reviewing the draft

ESP 2018–2030. NESAR involved stakeholders from DEOs and REOs, various MOE agencies,

other relevant ministries, CSOs, NGOs, and the donor community. After presenting aspects of

the ESP, NESAR participants were divided into groups along sub-sectors, reflecting their

expertise, and were asked to comment on key areas of the ESP. The Local Education Group

also provided detailed written comments on the draft ESP. Feedback from stakeholders was

then incorporated into the ESP. These inputs were critical to the development of the plan, to

ensure ownership and accountability on the part of a wide range of stakeholders.

Based on this feedback and after careful review of internationally prepared guidelines, there

was a need to conduct further analysis specifically on financing and costing, systems capacity,

and equity. In addition, it was necessary to incorporate emerging policy directions from the

newly elected government. Consultants were hired to this end and the resulting analyses

produced were incorporated into a revised version of the plan, with a large degree of input from

the MOE and the Local Education Group. The new version of the ESP was subject to three

regional consultations to again ensure that wider stakeholders were involved in the process for

feedback and buy-in, and the feedback received from these consultations was incorporated into

the ESP. Thus, the final ESP 2018–2030 has emerged after a collaborative process with diverse

stakeholders, incorporating extensive buy-in both in terms of the process and content. This level

of engagement is expected to continue as the ESP is implemented and reviewed, and a strong

communication strategy has been outlined for this purpose.


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Annex C: Mapping strategies in National Medium Term Development Planning Framework 2018–2021 to sub-policy objectives of the ESP

Sub-policy objectives in ESP 2018–2030

Strategies in ESP 2018–2030 Matching strategies in NMTDPF 2018–2021


EM 3.3.3. Encourage national, regional, district, and institutional units to mobilise funds domestically to support basic education

1.1.1: Redefine basic education to include secondary education

BE 2.4: Improved quality and relevance of inclusive basic education curriculum


1.1.2: Reform curriculum, with an emphasis on competencies in reading, writing, arithmetic, and creativity at the primary level, and introduce the history of Ghana, French, and (optional) Arabic at the pre-tertiary level

SE 2.3: Improved quality and relevance of SHS curriculum and enhanced delivery of curriculum and assessment framework



BE 2.2.2: Promote the development of assessment systems for tracking both pupils’ and schools’ performance on a periodic basis

1.1.3: Develop standards and national assessment test for foundational literacy and numeracy competencies at primary level


SE 1.1.1: Renovate, expand, and appropriately equip SHS to accommodate increasing demand, starting with the three northern regions

1.1.4: Continue implementation of free SHS and TVET for all Ghanaian children

SE 1.1.2: Implement a promotion strategy to encourage students to attend free public SHS and select appropriate SHS to attend




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SE 1.2.2: Remove all barriers to SHS education for SEN/disabled students

1.1.5: Ensure inclusive education for all boys and girls with SEN


TVET 1.2.2: Increase enrolment of females and learners with special needs and disabilities

NFE 1.3: Increased enrolment of disadvantaged groups within NFE

NFE 1.3.1: Increase enrolment of learners with special needs or disabilities and vulnerable populations


ISE 1.4.1: Ensure social intervention programmes reach schools/children with SEN

BE 2.6: Improved STEM learning achievement, quality, and relevance of teaching and learning at the basic school level

BE 2.6.1: Provide relevant opportunities for ICT and skills development with well-supplied ICT and science facilities

1.1.6: Popularise and demystify the teaching and learning of STEM and ICT education in basic and secondary education

BE 2.6.2: Promote science and technical education in basic schools, particularly for girls

BE 2.6.3: Ensure the availability of qualified science and maths teachers in JHS

SE 2.2: Improved learning outcomes for girls in all subjects, and for all students in STEM subjects



TVET 2.2.3: Strengthen STEM-based programmes, the learning of entrepreneurial skills, and competency-based training methodology in TVET provision to enhance employability

EM 3.7: Improved mainstreaming of ICT use in education at all levels

EM 3.7.2: Improve ICT infrastructure in educational institutions


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EM 3.7.3: Strengthen Centre for National Distance Learning Open Schooling (CENDLOS)

TE 2.2: Strengthened STEM education at the tertiary level


1.1.7: Accelerate the implementation of policy on 60:40 admission ratio of science to humanities students at the tertiary level



BE 2.4.3: Use effective strategies to ensure transition from reading in local language to English by P4 1.1.8: Facilitate implementation of

the language policy EM 3.1: Improved mechanisms for efficient teacher management

EM 3.1.3: Strengthen teacher recruitment, deployment, and management policy

NFE 2.2: Relevance of the content and delivery of non-formal literacy programmes strengthened

NFE 2.2.1: Ensure curriculum is up-to-date to address NFE needs, and appropriate pedagogy is used

1.1.9: Review policies to meet emerging demands in education, especially at the tertiary level


TVET 2.2.1: Develop and deliver curriculum based on identified skills gaps and occupational standards developed jointly with Sector Skills Councils

TVET 2.2.2: Incorporate green technologies into TVET and prepare learners for green jobs


TE 2.2.2: Forge links with industry to enhance teaching and learning


TE 2.4.3: Convert COEs into University COEs and transform the diploma into a four-year degree programme derived from the National Teachers Standards and curriculum framework


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BE 1.1.2: Improve quality of supply of infrastructure in public KG, primary schools and JHS to stimulate increased demand, particularly in disadvantaged districts, and to respond to changes in population and the distribution of school demand

1.1.10: Expand infrastructure and facilities at all levels


SE 1.1.1: Renovate, expand, and appropriately equip SHS to accommodate increasing demand, starting with the three northern regions



NFE 1.1: Adequate provision made for adult literacy programme

NFE 1.1.1: Strengthen existing NFE literacy programme with targeted interventions in the three northern regions

NFE 1.1.2: Develop additional NFE literacy programmes to include more learners in targeted areas (northern regions) with low literacy


ISE 1.1.1: Ensure that physical infrastructure designs of existing educational institutions/schools are modified to enhance opportunities for learners with SEN


TE 1.1.1: Expand and provide disability-friendly infrastructure in public tertiary institutions, and establish new institutions with sufficient differentiation and diversification



1.1.11: Restructure content of educational system to emphasise character building, value nurturing, patriotism, and critical thinking

SE 2.3: Improved quality and relevance of SHS curriculum and enhanced delivery of curriculum



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TVET 3.1: A strong legal, governance, and regulatory framework established for greater coherence and accountability of the TVET system to effectively respond to national socioeconomic development goals

TVET 3.1.1: Establish new TVET governance structure and regulatory framework that is embedded within national development plans

1.2.1: Realign and revamp existing public TVIs for effective coordination and standardisation

EM 3.4: Strengthened sector-wide approach to coordinate NGOs’, CSOs', and donor partners’ support to ensure smooth implementation of the ESP

EM 3.4.1: Improve coordination and accountability for donor and CSO/NGO support of ESP 1.2.2: Build effective partnership

with religious bodies, civic organisations, and private sector in the delivery of quality education EM 3.6: Strengthened education

service delivery through collaboration with non-state actors

EM 3.6.1: Develop and strengthen engagement of non-state actors in the provision and management of education at local and school levels


EM 3.5.2: Implement the education decentralisation policy

1.2.3: Fully decentralise the management of education service delivery


EM 3.1.2: Implement the PTPDM policy, with its associated in-service training and career progression

1.2.4: Implement an accelerated programme for teacher development and professionalisation

EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of MOE and its agencies, institutions, and MMDAs

EM 3.2.2: Develop mechanisms for strengthening coordination among agencies and units of the MOE

1.2.5: Implement reforms and strengthen the regulatory agencies that operate in the education sector


EM 3.5.1: Review the operating Acts of the various regulatory bodies and resource these bodies in order to strengthen them to support decentralisation


SE 1.1.1: Renovate, expand, and appropriately equip SHS to accommodate increasing demand, starting with the three northern regions 1.2.6: Establish well-resourced and

functional SHS in all districts


SE 1.2.1: Ensure the provision of a gender-friendly environment, guidance, and counselling where there are large disparities in gender parity


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SE 1.2.2: Remove all barriers to SHS education for SEN/disabled students

SE 1.2.3: Encourage access for those from low-income backgrounds and deprived districts

All sub-policy objectives for each strategic goal under Policy Objective 2: Improved quality of teaching and learning and STEM at all levels

All strategies under Policy Objective 2: Improved quality of teaching and learning and STEM at all levels

1.2.7: Enhance quality of teaching and learning

BE 2.1: Increased use of quality teaching and learning materials in basic education

BE 2.1.1: Ensure that end-user schools, teachers, and pupils have access to relevant, age-appropriate, and adequate teaching/learning materials

1.2.8: Ensure adequate supply of teaching and learning materials

BE 2.1.2: Develop comprehensive policy frameworks for the development and distribution of teaching and learning materials and library facilities

SE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs and equipment in SHS

SE 2.1.1: Invest in TLMs and equipment in SHS

TVET 1.1: Expanded and upgraded teaching, learning, and training infrastructure and diversified programme offerings


NFE 2.1: Increased use of quality TLMs in NFE programmes

NFE 2.1.1: Ensure provision of TLMs in NFE programmes

ISE 2.2: Relevant TLMs for learners with SEN provided

ISE 2.2.1: Ensure learners with SEN are provided with specialised TLMs to support their needs


TE 2.1.1: Upgrade and expand teaching and learning facilities in public tertiary institutions, including ICT

NFE 3.2: Sustained and adequate funding for NFE operations

NFE 3.2.1: Identify budget needs for NFE and explore additional sources of funding from the private sector and PPPs

1.3.1: Explore alternative sources for NFE


BE 2.4.1: Develop and implement a comprehensive standards-based basic school curriculum to improve learning achievement in basic (foundational) skills areas, the 4Rs

1.3.2: Provide life skills training and management for managing personal hygiene, fire safety,


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(Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, and cReativity)

environment, sanitation, and climate change




BE 3.3.3: Coordinate and promote evidence, evaluation, and research to strengthen policymaking

1.3.3: Improve the learning of research and innovation development


SE 3.2.1: Strengthen research, monitoring, and evaluation systems

EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of MOE and its agencies and institutions, and of MMDAs

EM 3.2.1: Institute a mechanism for identifying and coordinating policy-oriented research at the MOE

SE 2.2: Improved learning outcomes in STEM subjects, and improved overall learning outcomes for girls


1.3.4: Ensure the implementation of the national policy on 60:40 admission ratio in favour of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology





EM 3.7.1: Strengthen education ICT policy to make it more comprehensive

EM 3.7.2: Improve ICT infrastructure in educational institutions

EM 3.7.3: Strengthen Centre for National Distance Learning Open Schooling (CENDLOS)


BE 3.3.1: Strengthen M&E units and processes throughout the basic education level, including MOE (PBME and SRIM), GES, and

1.3.5: Establish M&E systems in planning management units


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decentralised systems, to improve the EMIS system


SE 3.2.1: Strengthen research, monitoring, and evaluation systems

TVET 3.1: A strong legal, governance, and regulatory framework for greater coherence and accountability of the TVET system to effectively respond to national socioeconomic development goals established

TVET 3.1.3: Strengthen TVET research and TVET Management Information System, and integrate this with the EMIS database

NFE 3.3: Accountability of NFE systems strengthened

NFE 3.3.1: Improve monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of NFE initiatives


ISE 3.1.1: Review and realign EMIS to reflect inclusive education issues


TE 3.4.1: Strengthen data collection and analysis systems, and strengthen M&E systems


TE 1.1.1: Expand and provide disability-friendly infrastructure in public tertiary institutions, and establish new institutions with sufficient differentiation and diversification

1.3.6: Ensure the implementation of a policy of differentiation and diversification


TE 2.3.1: Determine national priority research areas and provide adequate and sustained funding for research infrastructure, human resources for research, and research activities

1.3.7: Set up a National Research Fund


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Annex D: Mapping SDG targets to sub-policy objectives of the ESP

SDG target Matching sub-policy objective in ESP 2018–2030

4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education, leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes


BE 1.2: Achieved and sustained gender parity in access to, and completion of, quality basic education, with a focus on reducing regional disparities

BE 1.3: Increased provision of complementary basic education as an interim measure to deliver mainstream primary education to hard-to-reach children



BE 2.5: Enhanced instructional practices of basic education teachers and instructional leadership






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4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education




BE 2.3: Improved learning environments, including health and sanitation, child protection, and guidance and counselling in basic schools




4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university

TVET 1.1: Expanded and upgraded teaching, learning, and training infrastructure, and diversified programme offerings





4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship

BE 2.6: Improved STEM learning achievement, and quality and relevance of teaching and learning at the basic school level







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4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations










EM 3.3: Improved equity in financial management and resource allocation through use of evidence and data

4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

NFE 1.1: Adequate provision made for adult literacy programmes




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4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development



4.A: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child-, disability- and gender-sensitive, and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive, and effective learning environments for all







4.B: By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing states and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and ICT, technical, engineering, and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries





4.C: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified



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teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states






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Annex E: Mapping African Union strategic objectives to sub-policy objectives of the ESP

African Union strategic objective Matching sub-policy objective in ESP 2018–2030

SO 1: Revitalise the teaching profession to ensure quality and relevance at all levels of education








SO 2: Build, rehabilitate, and preserve education infrastructure and develop policies that ensure a permanent, healthy, and conducive learning environment in all sub-sectors and for all, so as to expand access to quality education



TVET 1.1: Expanded and upgraded teaching, learning, and training infrastructure




SO 3: Harness the capacity of ICT to improve access, quality, and management of education and training systems








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SO 4: Ensure acquisition of requisite knowledge and skills, as well as improved completion rates, at all levels and groups through harmonisation processes across all levels for national and regional integration


NFE 3.4: Strengthened intersectoral links to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for NFE graduates


EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of the MOE and its agencies and institutions, and MMDAs



SO 5: Accelerate processes leading to gender parity and equity










EM 3.3: Improved equity in financial management and resource allocation through use of evidence and data


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SO 6: Launch comprehensive and effective literacy programmes across the continent to eradicate the scourge of illiteracy



SO 7: Strengthen the science and maths curricula in youth training and disseminate scientific knowledge and culture in society









SO 8: Expand TVET opportunities at both secondary and tertiary levels and strengthen linkages between the world of work and education and training systems

TVET 1.1: Expanded and upgraded teaching, learning, and training infrastructure and diversified programme offerings



SO 9: Revitalise and expand tertiary education, research, and innovation to address continental challenges and promote global competitiveness



SO 10: Promote peace education and conflict prevention and resolution at all levels of education and for all age groups




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SO 11: Improve management of the education system as well build and enhance capacity for data collection, management, analysis, communication, and use




NFE 3.3: Accountability of NFE systems strengthened



EM 3.5: Strengthened accountability and operation structures of MOE agencies and smooth implementation of decentralisation

EM 3.2: Improved capacity to use evidence to inform plans of the MOE and its agencies and institutions, and MMDAs

SO 12: Set up a coalition of stakeholders to facilitate and support activities resulting from the implementation of CESA 16–25


Documents

EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN - MoEmoe.gov.gh/.../Education-Strategic-Plan-2018-2030.pdf · Education Strategic Plan 2018–2030 x SRIM Statistics, research, and information management